captions paid for by nbc-universal television good morning. not so fast. the obama administration puts the brakes on pushing for egyptian president hosni mubarak to step down immediately, embracing a slower path to reform instead. as anti-government protesters there call for a new round of demonstrations. facebook founder mark zuc r zuckerberg gets a restraining order against a man who tormented him online and work. and honeymoon over? it was a remarkable reunion. a woman reconnected with her biological family 23 years after she was kidnapped as a baby. but her mother says the weeks

that have followed have been anything but smooth. she'll tell us why in an exclusive interview today, tuesday, february 8th, 2011. from nbc news, this is "today," with matt lauer and meredith vieira. live from studio 1-a in rockefeller plaza. and welcome to "today" on this tuesday morning, i'm meredith vieira. and i'm matt lauer. and despite the calls for new protests in tahrir square there are signs the people of cairo are trying to return to at least some sense of normalcy today after two weeks of violent protests. we'll have the latest and a live report from cairo straight ahead. also ahead new details in the mystery of a woman who died at the home of beer magnet. what toxicology reports reveal. and video this morning, and this is frightening stuff. what you're about to see is called car surfing. and it is being tried, unfortunately, by a growing

number of teenagers. just ahead, a mother who lost her son because he was car surfing, shares a heartbreaking story. plus, what does simon cowell think about the new simon-less "american idol"? we'll ask him. but first, the stop stories with ann curry at the news desk. good morning, annie. >> reporter: good morning, everybody. today protesters are still refuse to go leave cairo's tahrir square and the president is not answering demands for resignation. richard engel is in cairo yet again. and richard, the obama administration is using dialogue -- urging dialogue. but is there a sense that u.s. pressure is diminishing on the mubarak administration? >> reporter: good morning, ann. there certainly is. the obama administration is backing those calls for more reform, but is not calling for immediate regime change here, and is refusing to endorse the protesters' demands that president mubarak step down.

life is returning to cairo, as egypt is now looking for a way out of this crisis. the new vice president, omar suleiman today announced he has a schedule and a road map for a peaceful transition from mubarak's regime to more elections next fall. but the protesters say promises aren't enough. they don't trust that mubarak will carry out any democratic reforms. they are still camped out in cairo's tahrir square . for weeks, this movement has been without a leader. but the demonstrators are trying to form a committee to represent them. and they have been inspired by the release yesterday of a blogger and google executive named hanim after 12 days of detention. please, don't turn me into a hero, he said. i'm an ordinary person. heroes are in the streets. but time may no longer be on the demonstrators' side. the government is calling people back to work. the main bazaar in cairo has

happened. but shop keepers say they're mostly just dusting off souvenirs. there are no tourists, no business. egyptians are divided with many wanting democracy, but not unrest. both the egyptian and u.s. government now appear to agree that egypt's transition to more democracy will take months, not weeks, and it seems increasingly unlikely that president mubarak will be forced into exile. ann? >> thanks a lot, richard engel. according to u.s. cables new release by wikileaks, omar suleiman has been a long-time favorite of israeli officials to take over for president hosni mubarak. by this summer, there will be a new independent nation in africa, southern sudan. 99% of voters chose this after decades of civil war. urging a peaceful transition, the u.s. will officially recognize this in july, and will now begin steps to take sudan off the list of countries

sponsoring terrorism. a chechen rebel is claiming responsibility for a bombing at a moscow airport that killed 36 people. the rebel leader released a video online and vowed there will be more attacks to come. the government is set to release today the results of its ten-month investigation into toyota. the biggest automaker has been saddled with millions of recalls. toyota announced today its net profit plummeted 39% in the third quarter compared to the year before. and a man has been arrested in the so-called polite robber case. >> i really am sorry to have to do this. but i've got kids. >> caught on tape, the suspect gained national attention, because of his good manners. as he robbed a convenience store, even apologizing, as you just heard, with his gun drawn. well, the 65-year-old suspect was arrested at his home not far from where the robbery took place. we'll have to get more details on that all as they emerge. it is now 7:05. let's go to meredith, matt and

al. >> all right, ann. thank you very much. mr. roker, we're going to see a change in the weather here today. >> know what he's going to see to the judge when he's sentenced? >> i'm sorry? >> pardon me. [ laughter ] >> sorry. >> let's show you what's happening, another storm out of the rockies, making snow for denver into wichita. dallas, you'll see more snow into tomorrow. it makes its way through the gulf, bringing snow to atlanta and then eventually moves off the coast. we luck out. we don't see any snow out of this thing, thank goodness, here in the northeast. look at the snowfall amounts. we're going to be talking about generally about 6 to 9 inches from wichita down to little rock. wichita may see a foot of snow. and then we've also got lake effect snow to talk about into the northeast from polaski to watertown, 9 inches from today through thursday morning. that's what's going

it is windy in our neck of the woods. good morning to you in the bay area. today we'll see a beautiful day. 48 degrees right now in oakland. 50 in napa. 43 in santa rosa. temperatures are really mild this morning because of the strong northerly winds. they will continue to come from the north over the bay area as we head throughout the first part of the day sub siding from the second half of the day. then the cold air arrives to drop our temperatures suggestly heading through tomorrow. only the upper 50s. have a great day. weather. meredith? >> al, thank you. president obama is holding a series of closed door meetings at the white house, after spending monday trying to mend fences with big business and his critics. savannah guthrie has details. good morning, savannah. >> reporter: good morning, meredith. with the president set to send his budget to congress next week, there are big battles looming over the nation's debt, an issue he took on, on fox news last night. >> and so you've got to make some tough decisions.

>> reporter: in the second part of his interview with fox news commentator bill o'reilly, the president fended off a suggestion he brought no urgency to the debt crisis in his state of the union address. >> we're proposing to cut $400 billion of spending over five years. by doing that, we will get domestic spending to the lowest level as a share of gdp since eisenhower. >> reporter: mr. obama acknowledged the biggest part of the debt is entitlement spending, and said neither party is going to be able to fix it alone. >> the long-term problem is entitlements. social security, medicare, medicaid. and what i've said to the republicans is, i want to work with you to figure out how we cut spending. >> reporter: the president's comments came on a day when he also extended an olive branch to business leaders at the chamber of commerce. >> i'm here in the interest of being more more neighborly. >> reporter: taking steps, literally, by walking to the chamber building, just a block from the white house, to try to repair what has often been a rocky relationship on issues

such as health care and financial regulations. >> if we had brought over a fruit cake when i first moved in, we would have gotten off to a better start. >> reporter: fighting a perception he's anti-business. of . >> i understand the challenges you face and i know you share my enthusiasm. and if there is a reason you don't share my confidence, i want to fix it. >> reporter: the president promised to eliminate burden from regulation while defending the need for some government intervention. >> not every regulation is bad. not every regulation is burdensome on business. >> reporter: a somewhat different tone from comments he made to ceos a year ago. >> if they wish to fight common sense consumer protections, that's a conversation i'm willing to have. >> reporter: he called for a cut in corporate taxes and urged executives to get in the game with a kennedy-like call to get in the action to invest in america. >> winning the future is not just about what the government can do for you to succeed.

it's also about what you can do to help america. of. >> reporter: well, the president will be behind closed doors for most of the day, but the vice president will be at the amtrak station in philadelphia, talking about the need to improve the nation's infrastructure. one of those issues that the chamber of commerce and the administration agree on, matt. back to you. >> all right, savannah, thank you very much. savannah guthrie at the white house this morning. will president obama's outreach to the business community mean good things for the economy? jim cramer is the host of "mad money" on cnbc. jimmy, good morning. good to see you. >> morning, matt. >> a year ago, the president was bashing wall street, talking about the fat cats and their bonuses. and you know what? people all across this country agreed with him. and now we're hearing a very different tone. is this all about the fact that jobs have not come back as quickly as people want? is. >> 100%. this is about creating employment. and i think it's a very big olive branch. i think he's got the onus on business. he made the first step here. >> but is it a verbal olive branch only? is he backing it up with

actions? >> if can he can change the corporate tax, a lot more money is going to come back to hire people. there are too many regulations. he admitted it himself. these are major things. and people don't understand how important this trade initiative -- if we can break the barriers for foreign countries, that's also going to produce a huge number of jobs. >> let's talk about what he said. he tells corporate leaders they must shoulder responsibility for lifting the shaky economy and vowed to knock down government barriers that hamper business growth. is this the right way -- is this the way the logical explanation works? in other words, can business lead this economy to recovery? or does the economy need to recover to get businesses to hire? >> the rest of the world is doing really terrifically. we have been very -- it's been very difficult for our businesses to crack in to china, to india, to latin america. the president says, look, i'll help, but you've got to make the stuff here. i think that had resonance. i think the business leaders heard it. i think they're going to change. >> you're a cynical guy. >> yeah. >> and so -- look beyond the

economy here. and look to politics. we're less than two years ago from the 2012 elections. by taking this softer stance with business, what does president obama gain politically? >> first all, your 401(k) is going to go up. before the president was doing nothing -- the dow flew. this is a new experience in ten years. he's making people feel more comfortable spending, he's making companies feel much more comfortable spending. that is going to produce jobs, it's going to lower the unemployment rate. this is really a very important -- >> when? when is this going to happen? >> i'll tell you when. by election. >> so two years from now. >> yes. absolutely. >> not sooner than that. >> it's very difficult to change everything. but i think you're going to see a tone which says, listen, we can't keep working these people as long as we have. we've got to bring more people, and that's what the auto companies are doing. some of the steel companies, aluminum companies. it's happening. >> you talked about the markets yesterday, the dow closed above 12,000. six straight days of gains. how do you feel about the market

right now? >> right now, i think it's fabulous. we had chinese rate hike last night, so today won't be a good day. but i do believe that we can be up another 12%. this is a new president. the market's up you 12% since he changed his ways. he hasn't said he changed his ways, but business feels he has. >> jim cramer, thanks very much. as always. and you can watch "mad money" weeknights at 6:00 p.m. eastern on cnbc. and tomorrow first lady michelle obama will join us here in studio 1-a for a live interview. it's 7:13, here's meredith. >> thank you. mark zuckerberg has been granted a restraining order against a man who has stalked him online and at home. might gail almaguer has the story. >> reporter: he's the face of facebook, but mark zuckerberg has at least one friend he never wanted. facebook confirms, the creator of the social networking site has been granted a restraining order against perdeep manuconda.

as first reported by tmz.com, manuconda is a facebook subscriber, who allegedly stalked zuckerberg on and off line. he tried to follow, surrender veil and contact mr. zuckerberg using language threatening his personal safety. >> the judge has issued a restraining order telling mr. manuconda to stay at least 300 yards away. >> reporter: tmz reports he sought out zuckerberg at facebook offices in palo alto, looking, for, quote, money for his financially strapped family. tmz says manuconda sent a rambling message to zuckerberg, writing, time is running out for me. i owe entire my life at your service. please help me. then i am ready to die for you. these were not just the words, these are coming from my heart. tmz also says zuckerberg's

sister received incoherent messages. dear randi, please respond before it gets too late. i really need your help, my dear sister. two weeks ago, palo alto police say they got involved after manuconda went to zuckerberg's home, stopped by security. he was told to leave the property, and he was given a verbal warning. but four days later, tmz says manuconda wrote a bizarre letter to zuckerberg saying, if i get a chance to work with you in the near future, it would be my honor. light house is more powerful than churches. it perfectly suits you. the hand-written letter was reportedly sent with flowers. >> that's what gets scary, is first he's going to the internet, and then he goes to his place of business, and then he tries to get into his house. you get a sense of an increase in frustration. >> reporter: but nbc news contacted manuconda who

confirmed the restraining order, but declined comment. meantime, one of zuckerberg's profile posts reads, trying to make the world a more open place by helping people connect and share. but apparently, not quite like this. for "today," miguel almaguer, nbc news, los angeles. it is 7:16. and once good again, here's matt. >> thank you. we're learning more about what may have caused the death of a woman inside the mansion of former ann highser bush ceo august bush the fourth. nbc's kevin tibbles is in st. louis with details on this story. kevin, good morning. >> reporter: matt, well, the coroner's report has not been released. there is a report that has been confirmed by our nbc affiliate, ksdk, that contains toxicology information into the death of adrienne martin. nearly two months after her mysterious death, new clues about what may have happened to 27-year-old adrienne martin.

the aspiring model was found dead last december at the mansion of her boyfriend, august busch iv, heir to the fortune. he had cocaine and the pain killer oxycodone in her system at the time of her death. the toxicology reports were released to the family. nick misster spoke with the ex-husband, dr. kevin martin. >> he was surprised to hear those results, because adrienne was always anti drug, is what he told me. >> reporter: martin's husband told "the post dispatch" that adrienne had a heart condition, but never suspected she was using drugs. medical experts say the two should not mix. >> it can be a deadly combination, especially in people who have underlying heart problems. >> reporter: martin and busch had been dating for two years when he found her unresponsive in his home december 19th. >> emergency 911. >> yeah, we need an ambulance.

>> what's the problem? >> this girl is just not waking up. >> reporter: when the 46-year-old busch was a college freshman, he was involved in a crash that killed his female passenger. no charges were filed. and in 1985, he was accused of trying to run down two detectives during a police chase. he was eventually acquitted. but busch seemed to overcome his troubles, and his playboy past. >> no one had ever pointeded to any problems, at least within the last 20 years. but he had been into rehab for depression and for, quote, other issues. he never said what those other issues are. so we can only, you know, hope that we'll find out more answers in the -- as this process goes on. >> reporter: and, matt, that coroner's report is expected to be released sometime later in the week. matt, back to you. >> all right, kevin tibbles in st. louis. kevin, thank you very much. it's 18 after the hour. here's meredith. thank you. the countdown to the wedding between prince william and kate

stands at 80 days. and now there is a way for you to interact with the prince, sort. nbc's stephanie gosk is at buckingham palace to explain. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, meredith. since the engagement, william and kate have been keeping low profiles. very few public appearances. our royal insiders say sometimes kate even leaves her house in disguise. the palace is trying to keep them out of the press, but all that does is make the public want to know what they're up to, even more. the day of the engagement announcement, there were probably more than a few women who thought, i wonder what that must be like. to be kate middleton in that moment. ♪ ♪ i want to be like you >> reporter: that's what american artist jennifer woo was thinking. >> for americans, they're the embodiment of a fairytale, and prince william is the embodiment of prince charming. so for us, it's this happy moment where the world is coinciding with our fantasy of the world. ♪ >> reporter: which she is hoping to recapture in a london

gallery. this time, with william made of wax. 6'3", replicas of his hand-tailored suit, vintage watch, and, of course, the ring, waiting for kate's hand to slip through. the idea is to actually experience the magic of the moment. what's that, will? who should design my wedding dress? what a great idea! ♪ >> reporter: it isn't just william gracing the galleries of london. some artists are grappling with kates's celebrity. the celebrities of the past and the celebrities of the future. >> reporter: sure. but most people just like looking at the william and kate, anywhere they can find them. plates, mugs, magazine covers. nothing new for the prince, but icon status for kate is new territory. ♪ ♪ some kind of superstar >> it's perplexing that one day you're just a normal girl, if

you like, and suddenly you've been offered the world in terms of things like magazine covers, paintings, statues, things named after you. >> reporter: the magazine especially has tapped into the bride to be fans. a cover with the future princess flies off the shelves ♪ >> reporter: kate, like her prince charming, is now undeniable, and unavoidably, a celebrity. there was a rumor flying around that kate was going to be on the covers of "vogue" and an attempt by that fashion magazine to boost sales. but reportedly kate has said no to that. another example of her trying to keep a low profile. you may remember that diana was on the cover of "vogue" just before the wedding in 1981. matt and meredith? >> thank you very much. stephanie gosk in london. has it gone too far? >> people standing, slipping their fingers in the ring? >> to feel the experience. >> i think that's a little too far. >> you're not going to do it, hopefully. >> no. >> but a lady might. >> okay. >> all right. >> good. nice -- well, at least stephanie

did. >> all right. coming up, new details on the woman who was abducted as a baby. her biological mom speaks out in an exclusive live interview about the twists their family has taken since then. but first, this is "today" on nbc. i have fallen in love with making bird houses.

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[ male announcer ] it's time. love your heart so you can do what you love. cheerios. [ bob ] squak. still to come on a tuesday morning, one mother's warning to other parents about a dangerous thrill ride that is becoming popular among teenagers. this is it right here, known as car surfing. and on a lighter note, we meet a national zoo's new adorable addion, baby cheatas, but first a look at your national weather. e as fast! [ brays ] and since double miles add up fast, we can bring the whole gang. is caesar home? we get double miles every time we use our card, no matter what we're buying. thank you! thank you very much! [ garth ] it's hard to beat double miles! if anyone objects,

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the best device for everything you love to read editors' choice. best dedicated ereader. magazines look spectacular. fantastic device. touch the future of reading at barnes and noble. good morning to you. it is 7:26 right now. i'm laura garcia-cannon. let's check the forecast with christi christina. still windy? still windy. 48 degrees right now. maybe around 3:30 this cold air mass will start to filter into the bay area. that will drop our temperatures significantly overnight. and you will notice when that cold air arrives. just look ahead and you'll see the spotty clouds overhead. and for us that means turning cold by about 4:00 p.m. temperatures are dropping. one of the days we are under full sunshine. we will lose a lot of that warm air very quickly. 66 degrees in san rafael.

69 in redwood city. 70 degrees in los gatos. milder in santa cruz. 71 degrees. temperatures really drop tomorrow when the cold air mixes in. 59 degrees is your forecasted high with a.m. fog. then we'll gradually rise to 69 degrees by saturday. another good-looking weekend on tap for us, but just in time for valentine's day showers return. we'll find out if there's problems on the roadway with mike inouye. >> i have a little red on the map. that's the valentine's color. the earlier accident i told you about near 680 didn't have major injuries, but looking over sunol there's traffic slow near the express lane because of the expre expressway. we have another slowdown in livermore tied up after the earlier sigalert in the eastbound direction causing a distraction. here are travel times. the only major issue approaching

the toll plaza is the east shore freeway. the fight against school closures continues in the east bay. parents, teachers and students will rally at monte gardens in concord this afternoon. the mount diablo school district will choose which schools fall to the budget ax tonight. if a new proposal is made it could be weeks before the final decision is made. the meeting will be tonight at 7:30 in the high school gym in concord. another update in a half hour. the "today" show returns in less than two minutes. ♪ [ male announcer ] not all steel is created equal. not all manufacturing processes are created equal. not all engineering standards are created equal. which is why not all luxury vehicles are created equal. the hard way means never taking short cuts.

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it's 7:30 now on a tuesday morning, the 8th of february, 2011. you are looking down at the plaza in new york city, our corner of the world, 49th street and rockefeller plaza. it's been raining overnight. supposed to get much colder this afternoon. inside studio 1a, it's fine in here. i'm matt lauer alongside meredith vieira. coming up, a disturbing activity known as car surfing that can lead to serious injury and even death. when you see the video, you understand why. police are seeing more cases of it, especially among teenagers. we'll have details on that. you can just see it's lunacy.

>> crazy. also ahead, a remarkable story from the national zoo where two baby cheetahs were born. when one mother couldn't care for her cub, the other was forced to take up the slack. we'll go there live. >> and how does simon cowell feel about "american idol" without him? he'll tell us when he joins us for a live interview coming up. >> let us begin with the latest on what's a rocky reunion between carlina white and her biological family. she was snatched from a new york hospital 23 years ago as a baby. we'll talk to her birth mother but first the latest. >> reporter: ann pettway is being held without jail at a federal detention center in new york. on monday prosecutors were to announce whether a grand jury had returned an indictment against her. now prosecutors and the defense have asked for two weeks to find out what the grand jury decides and how to move forward.

>> i want my baby back. they didn't have to do that to me. i had her. i was carrying her for nine months. they didn't have to take her from me. >> reporter: in 1987 an unthinkable crime took place. 3-week-old carlina white was snatched from the hospital leaving her young parents without a clue. 23 years later, the unthinkable turned into the unbelievable when carlina was reunited with her biological parents. >> i always believed she would find me. >> this is what i wanted ever since i found out that lady wasn't my biological mother. >> reporter: that lady is ann pettway who confessed to an agent she snatched carlina from the hospital, raised her as her own daughter giving her the name nejdra nance. when nejdra grew up she asked pettway for a birth certificate and pettway had nothing. nejdra started to search and

unlocked the mystery of her identity. >> looking at the picture it looked like my daughter. i swear i stayed on that article for a good two hours. >> reporter: police say dna confirmed nejdra dance was carlina white, but the case is far from happily ever after. the first indication of trouble came from carlina's biological father who spoke with matt on "today." >> i'm happy my daughter came back. it's hard for her to cope with us right now because she hasn't been with us for 23 years. >> reporter: family members say carlina has become distant from her biological mother joy white, even questioning her birth family about financial issues. experts say carlina may be going through an identity crisis. >> she may be experiencing loyalty conflicts between the family that raised her and the family she's just discovered. that's a difficult place to be put in. >> reporter: carlina remains in georgia where she's lived for

the last several years and has reportedly started using the name nejdra again. >> there is a possibility these biological parents could have experienced lost for the second time. the child may have been lost as an infant and lost as an adult. that may be their harsh reality. >> reporter: nbc news reached out to carlina. she has no comment. it turns out law enforcement and the connecticut department of children and families could have solved the case six years when pettway told someone at dcf she was not nejdra's biological mother. police were contacted at the time but the investigation went nowhere. >> thank you very much. joy white, carlina's biological mother is with us exclusively for her first live interview. good morning. i know you have been through a lot over the past few weeks. how are you doing? >> it's been pretty tough. i wanted to have a relationship with my daughter. >> it started positively when

she first reconnected with you. >> yes. everything was great. i was on such a high when i first reunited with my daughter. you couldn't tell me nothing else, you know. i was floating on air. i was so happy. that moment was so great. >> she seemed happy, too. >> yes. with the family, we all got together and we enjoyed that moment. we didn't even talk about what went on in her life, you know, with the pettway family. >> of the possible allegations of abuse as a child. >> no. we didn't talk about that. we just enjoyed the moment and it was so great. >> and then she went back to atlanta, four days after. she came january 15, back on the 18th, came back the next day. >> exactly.

>> she was flown up by the post. she'd changed in just that day. >> yeah. >> how so? >> i think it had a lot to do with the pettway family. >> what do you mean? >> the family is -- she'd been with them for 23 years. that's her family. i think maybe it's a lot of pressure on her now. being that she found her mom and itle really hurts, you know. it's emotional, overwhelming situation. >> do you think she's going through an identity crisis. >> yes. >> you do? >> yes. >> where does that leave you? >> heart-broken. but i do have to understand that it is her family. she was brought up by them. i'm her mom and she is, you

know, is just so -- this is so hard to explain. she's with that family. and that's all she knows. and i'm her mother. and it's hard not to have a relationship with her. it really hurts. i want my daughter back. i want her here. i want her to spend time with me and the family. and i want her to get to know me. it's like we are two strangers, you know? we don't know each other. >> she went back and has not returned since but she's asked a lot of questions about money. in particular, what happened to the settlement that you received in 1992 from the lawsuit filed against the hospital as a result of the kidnapping. the new york post says that you and carlina's father both received about $163,000 and put

the rest in a trust fund for carlina. >> right. >> if she was found before she turned 21, by the age of 21. she's now 23. >> right. >> what happened to that money? >> it's gone. we don't have the money. you know, we both had to live. you know, we put that money up for her, me and carl. we decided to put that up for her ourselves. at the time, things was like really rocky with me as far as a living situation and stuff like that. and i have two other kids -- a son and a daughter. i had to take care of myself and live. >> once she turned 21 and you hadn't found her, you used up the money? >> exactly. >> she asked about the reward money offered for her return. >> yes. >> a lot of questions about money that she's told you she won't do interviews unless she's paid. are you angry with her about this? >> yeah. i'm disappointed.

this was a miracle that happened. it's breathtaking. it's mind-blowing. i just wanted to get that out there, you know, that we found our daughter and we're happy, e reunited. you know, i wanted to share that with the world. it really hurts me that it's about money. you know, that's what kids -- you know, it's about, you know. it's u ee's understandable, you. >> quickly, do you know anything about the connecticut officials may have found her six years ago? >> yes. >> you knew about that? >> she told me about that. >> does it upset you that they drom dropped the ball on that? >> it hurts me very bad. it's a difficult situation. >> i'm sure it's hard.

it started so positively. we wish you the best. hopefully the families will come back together again. thank you. now a check on the weather from al. >> good morning, everybody. got some friends here. you guys first -- friends for 47 years? >> yeah. >> you're just reuniting? >> well, we reunite over the years. >> we have a 16th birthday here with amanda. happy birthday. hey, paduka, kentucky. we just like saying that. they have their single day biggest snowfall yesterday. six inches of snow. some areas of western kentucky picking up ten inches of snow. and you add to that more snow today and bitterly cold temperatures. it's going to be a mess. look at these temperatures starting to stream down. single digits, below zero temperatures today into

tomorrow. look at how the cold air starts to seep down into the south. teens and 20s in northern texas. teens and 20s in the northeast. the cold air shifts east as well. temperatures warm up southern florida and southern california as well. good morning to you. we are looking towards temperatures later on today towards that 70-degree mark. but this morning we are at 50 degrees in hayward right now. 45 in san jose. 51 in santa cruz. as you can see from the satellite imagery we have cold air on the way. this is going to turn our temperatures much cooler heading throughout the night tonight. you will definitely notice a difference on your way home from work. but overall, another good looking day across the bay. 69 degrees in redwood city. have a great tuesday. that's your latest weather. check your latest forecast on the weather channel on cable or weather.com online. meredith? >> al, thank you very much. just want to make sure despite

what's happening with her daughter now, she wants anyone whose children have been kidnapped to never give up hope. coming up, women's obsession with footwear, but first car surfing and the dangerous stunt more people are taking part in right after this. - that's a peerless diamond, the ideal ideal-cut diamond. female announcer: jared has thousands of loose diamonds and hundreds of settings to create your own one-of-a-kind ring. - you crying? - no. that lets you eat six times a day? yeah, baby! try the slim-fast 3-2-1 plan. 3 snacks, 2 shakes or meal bars, and 1 balanced meal. slim fast. who has time to slim slowly?

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[ female announcer ] ...and for being with your favorite storyteller... [ grandpa ] i love you when you are quiet. [ female announcer ] ...even after he goes home to nevada. [ grandpa ] and i love you when you are loud! [ female announcer ] hallmark recordable storybooks. ♪ make your voice their valentine. back now at 7:44 with a warning about a dangerous and sometimes deadly stunt becoming popular with some teenagers. it's called car surfing and police in florida are now arresting anyone caught doing it. nbc's kerry sanders is in wellington, florida with more on this. good morning. >> reporter: well, good morning, matt. car surfing is dangerous, illegal and obscure except among some teenagers and 20-somethings. this is how it works. you get behind the wheel of the car. they're driving 20, 30, 40 miles per hour. then a friend gets out of the car, climbs on the roof and stands up as if he's surfing the

car. it's a fearless gamble. car surfing. and the videos of those climbing on the roof of a moving car are all over the internet. in some cases drivers even surf their own cars which is called ghost riding. and as the videos reveal, it is not uncommon to see the surfing end in an accident. >> oh! >> reporter: sometimes car surfers grab the bumper or door handle and surf the imaginary wake on a surfboard or in a shopping cart. 18le-year-old cameron bieberly jumped in the back of a cart. as they went faster and faster the car approached a speed bump. cameron flew 27 feet through the air, landed on his head and died.

>> feels like hell on earth. >> reporter: wendy and darda say they had no idea what their son was doing until it was too late. >> cameron made a poor decision, no doubt. he got in that cart. once he did that he no longer had control of the situation. >> reporter: at the time of the accident the driver michael smith was 23 years old. this month, two and a half years after cameron's death, an orlando jury convicted him of vehicular homicide. smith was sentenced to four years in prison. >> so if they are driving the car figuring, well, something bad goes on it won't be me, it will be my buddy. >> right. >> the truth of the story is -- >> both parties are going to pay a dear price. ♪ >> reporter: where did the idea for this come from? cameron's parents think he saw it in the movie "jack ass." police agencies are investigating more and more car surfing accidents. just last week two teens died in

florida. >> do you know what car surfing is? >> yes. >> reporter: which is why cameron's parents are on a mission to warn other families. >> we're just trying to get the word out. >> reporter: cameron's death ruined what both say was a perfect american family. two children, two dogs, a turtle and a rabbit. >> we are separated and getting divorced. >> reporter: would you blame it on this incident? >> absolutely. >> i don't think it would have happened if cameron hadn't died. >> reporter: it's so sad. they say they are speaking out because they hope parents will talk to their teenagers and their 20-somethings to make sure they understand how dangerous and stupid this car surfing activity is. matt? >> kerry sanders in wellington, florida, for us. thank you very much. on a much different note, coming up the special story behind the newest cheetahs at the national zoo. but first these messages. [ man ] on your mark...

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we are back with two new additions at the smithsonian national zoo in washington, d.c. baby cheetah cubs born to different moms. because one was at risk he's been adopted by the other female. tom costello is at the national zoo with details. tom, good morning. >> reporter: all right. good morning. this is a really sweet, cool story. this is called cross-fostering like when a child needs help and he or she gets a foster parent. take a look behind me. these three beautiful mail cheetahs are nestled down. it's cold here. the babies, the cubs, are inside where it's warm. if you didn't know better, you would swear all that chirping had to be coming from baby birds, but these are no birds. >> they are ten days apart. >> reporter: lacy brawn is the lead cheetah keeper at the national zoo and these days she

has her hands full with two wide-eyed balls of fur. >> 3.36 kilograms. >> reporter: the two baby cubs don't have names. they were born ten days apart to two separate mothers, but a litter with one cub can spell trouble for the moth around the baby. >> the mother will not produce enough milk. she'll dry up. and then neglect the cub. >> reporter: to save the male cub the zoo took a gamble that a mother named zazi would adopt a baby that wasn't hers. >> the largest risk is that the female would actually injure the new cub. >> reporter: the moment of truth was captured on camera in december when zoologists placed both cubs in the same nest box and then rubbed woodchips over each. watch zazi enter the box. that's the new male cub off to the left. zazi goes for him, picking him up in her mouth, then turning around lays him down and within just a minute begins to mother

him. within hours, he was nursing. >> she was absolutely perfect for the cross-fostering. she accepted the new cub right away. >> reporter: the cheetah is the fastest mammal on land, capable of 70 mile per hour sprints but the numbers are dropping past. only 7,000 to 12,000 left in the wild. they will be part of a species survival plan, examined by veterinarians -- lungs, eyes, teeth, temperature and weighed every day. what is that sound? >> like a bird chirp. it's good camouflage for them in the wild. >> reporter: two new babies sharing one loving mom. so you're saying, i can't see the babies. i'm not near the national zoo. i'm in detroit, duluth, denver, whatever the case may be. wrong you are. the zoo put up a web cam.

it's on todayshow.com. we'll take a look. you have to look hard to see the baby cubs, but right now they are just a little bit ahead or up on the top part of the screen near their mom. they have been nursing this morning. they got up. they were really frolicking this morning and now they are hanging out with mom. meredith, back to you. >> they are so sweet. thank you very much, tom. >> they are cute. >> they are. >> a year from now, they'll bite your head off. coming up, simon wellco,e lif touweam "erican idol." and his new show. after your local news. tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 what if every atm was free ?

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good morning to you. it is 7:56 right now. i'm laura garcia-cannon. check the forecast this morning with christina. good morning to you. another gorgeous day on tap, but changes this afternoon, even under full sunshine. you will notice temperatures turning cool by about 4:00 or 5:00 tonight. we have a cool air mass on the way. this is really going to drive our temperatures down heading throughout tomorrow afternoon. only ending up in the 50s. but for today i think you'll enjoy what we have in store for you. 66 degrees in san rafael. 69 in redwood city. 67 degrees in fremont. breezy conditions for the first part of the day. the wind will start to subside heading throughout this evening. then it will turn cool. and temperatures are really going to drop off as we head through tomorrow staying cool for thursday. but high pressure regains control as we head into saturday. a little bit of shower activity

expected sunday into monday. let's find out how the roads are looking with mike inouye. good morning, christina. here's the richmond/san rafael bridge. the winds are going this way from north to south. here's the issue, aside from the wind crossing the bridge we have an accident as you cross the bridge. there's a slow drive past the toll plaza heading over to the san rafael side. slow for the north bay with speeds approaching 30 near the lincoln avenue. very heavy for the east bay southbound or westbound for 880 coming off the cartinas bridge. jammed through san pablo down to richmond. then approaching the 580 merge and the racetrack, that's causing most of the slowing because of the earlier accident there. a sigalert declared for southbound 680, although we have been tracking the accident. it has been a major issue. there's an overturned vehicle there in place for another hour. slow out of sunol to mission boulevard south. the san jose family here hopes more than 1,000 fliers posted on street signs and placed on cars will help to

catch a hit-and-run driver this morning. 18-year-old erika luna was crossing fontane road when someone in a silver van or suv hit her and dragged her more than 700 feet. then they sped off. luna survived and suffered a broken pelvis. her family says she may never walk again. she's in critical condition at the medical center in san jose. the driver faces a possible felony hit-and-run charge. another local news update in a half hour. the "today" show returns in less than a minute. have a good morning.

8:00 now on this tuesday morning, february 8, 2011. people from far and wide assembled in rockefeller plaza. it is always nice to have them stop by and say hello. i'm meredith vieira alongside matt lauer and al roker. coming up, simon cowell. >> that's right. former "american idol" judge. i wonder if he still watches his old program and what does he have in store judgewise and competitionwise for his american version of "the x factor" which will debut here in the not too distant fupture. there's i am upon we will talk

to him in just a little while. >> then we asked about women and their obsession with shoes. survey says one in five would put up with painful blisters for a operate pair of shoes. like meredith. >> my feet are killing me. aren't the shoes great? >> why do women put so much stock in footwear? are women genetically wired to like shoes? >> i don't want to get the designer angry. >> also ahead, can we -- wish our very best to former guest here on the show, remember ali smith babineau. 28 years old. implanted with a revolutionary heart pump. a couple of weeks ago we told you her health had taken a turn for the worse. even as we are speaking right now, ali is being taken into an operating room. she's getting a heart transplant this morning. so we just want ali to know we are thinking of her and her

family and we wish her the very best. we will update you on that situation. let's head inside to the news desk with ann kur. >> i good morning. we begin with the stand-off in cairo, protesters are still in the streets demanding democracy and resignation of their president. and the president, mubarak, has set up a community to discuss changes to egypt's constitution that would relax eligibility rules for who can run for president. at the same time, constitution. at the same time anti-government protesters are calling for 1 million people in tahrir square today. there has been a startling jump in the death toll. nearly 300 people have been killed in egypt since the uprising began two weeks ago. police in mexico say they have no leads in the shooting deaths of three people, including two american high school students who were killed on saturday across the border from el paso, texas. they were shot at a car dealership in ciudad juarez.

six former officials in california have rejected a plea deal in their corruption case. they were offered a chance to pay back millions they allegedly looted from the l.a. suburb and serve two-year sentences. they refused that deal. officials say president obama will propose debt relief for states struggling to pay jobless benefits when he unveils the budget next week. 30 states borrowed $32 billion to cover unemployment checks. amtrak plans to spend $50 million to study what it calls its gateway project, a new huds river tunnel connecting new york and new jersey. building the tunnel would cost $13.5 billion, making it the most expensive transportation project in u.s. history. americans boosted their credit card borrowing in december for the first time in more than two years and according to the experts the signals increase confidence in the economy and an easing of tight lending restrictions by

banks. federal regulators proposed that top bank executives delay half their annual bonuses for at least three years. lawmakers blame the bonus system for encouraging high risk deals that led to the recent financial collapse. and a shy baby panda is playing peekaboo. take a look. with visitors at the zoo in vietn vienna. fuhu was born last august. he's avoided meeting the fans, but there he is. it is now four minutes past hour. let's go outside now to al who is also our little fuzzy panda with the weather. >> yeah. i don't think i'm that fuzzy, but i'm glad you think so. let's check your weather. pick city today just happens to be wilmington, delaware. wind advisory. gusts to 4 miles per hour. as you look at the southeast we

have rain moving through. a system works its way through the coast. snow for the southeast. clouds in the pacific northwest. santa ana winds in los angeles today. a messy day in northern new england with snow. we have lake effect snow in parts of the eastern great lakes. yeah, it is pretty breezy in our neck of the woods as well. 51 degrees in concord right now. 48 in hayward and 49 in san mateo. i believe temperatures will be able to climb to 70 degrees or better in some cities in the south. cold air is on the way and temperatures are going to drop as we head to tomorrow afternoon. today the 70s. and that's your latest weather. matt? >> al, thank you very much. when we come back, we are going

to talk to one of the driving forces behind one of the shows you watch most often and a new show coming to this country. that'sim son scowell. we'll chat with him, but first, these messages. ♪ always in my face ♪ i think i need some space ♪ loving you's just too much work ♪ ♪ so i found a new love a zero-calorie true love ♪ ♪ tt comes from a leaf sweet surprise ♪ ♪ it's natural, guilt-free no artificiality ♪ ♪ it won't land on my hips or my thighs ♪ ♪ its name is truvia ♪ i had no idea ♪ it's better than flirting or french fries ♪ [ announcer ] truvia. honestly sweet. - did dad go to jared for the pandora bracelet like we told him? - i can't tell. - oh, honey! - he totally went to jared. female announcer: celebrate life's unforgettable moments with pandora, now at jared. girls: awww... - they are so cute at that age. the moisturizer in other body washes sits on top of skin. only dove has nutriummoisture, which can nourish deep down.

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like meaty marinara or chicken alfredo, plus an order of breadsticks, you get enough for the whole family. only on tuesdays, and only at your pizza hut. back now at 8:10 with more of our special series, why are we so obsessed? it's all about the shoes today. if you get pumped for pumps or smile at sneakers you may be one of the millions of american women addicted to shoes. for many women it started with cinderella and the darn glass slipper. ♪ >> reporter: then glass turned to ruby red. >> follow the yellow brick road. >> reporter: which eventually turned into -- well, a shoe obsession. ♪

>> reporter: even during the economic storm when other goods were getting the boot, shoe stores were trending as high as a stiletto. >> shoes always fit. >> the color, variety, styles, different shoes for every season. i love everything about shoes. i love the way they make me feel, how i look in them. >> shoes make me happy. >> reporter: it should be no surprise we are wired for shoe love. >> you put on high heels and you feel sexy and glamorous. when wearing high heels you stand and walk on your tiptoes. your posture changes, your chest go out, your behind goes out. your legs seem longer. >> reporter: sachs 5th avenue has its own floor. >> i'm a 9. >> some women go overboard. part of the reason is the neverending search for the perfect shoes that will make them look sexy and beautiful and

alluring. >> reporter: dominique grovener's shoe search took her places she didn't expect. >> my husband and i had to find a two-bedroom apartment to accommodate my shoes. >> reporter: now she blogs about them for a living. >> i love these. >> these yellow ones. >> perfect for vacation. everybody who loves shoes has voyeurs voyeuristic tendencies. you can transform yourself from a schoolteacher to a naughty vixen. shoes do that for women. >> here to talk about our obsession with shoes, stacy london, co-host of "what not to wear," mimi leeks from bravo's "real housewives of atlanta." all of them shoe addicts. welcome to you. what is your motto when it comes to shoes? >> thick, nasty and crazy.

>> thick, nasty and crazy? >> all in a good way. let me say it to you, meredith. those are some sick shoes you're wearing. >> i'm glad they are sick then. >> you're working it. >> thank you, baby. >> you find when you put a story about shoes in your magazine people gobble it up. >> we call it shoe porn. we just like looking at it. >> why are we bananas about shoes? >> first of all, in a tough economy you can wear the same thing and just change the shoes and it's new. it's the ruby slipper effect. you can be the schoolteacher or the vixen. also there is no such thing as a fat today with shoes. there is no fitting room drama. you have never heard a woman say, do my feet look fat in these shoes? a great shoe makes you feel fantastic. >> you mentioned the red slipper. when you were a little girl that got you hooked. >> i confess. i was dorothy for seven

halloweens in a row because i wanted to wear shiny shoes. that's where it started for me. i believe the higher the heel, the closer to god. >> do you think we are genetically wired to love shoes? >> i think we are actually. i think it's sociobiological. women want to be attractive. it's ingrained in us. if heels make our legs look longer, our girls come out, the shoulders go back and the hips sway, that's sending a genetic signal. we are looking to mate. >> what's interesting is when you poll readers 20% said they would suffer bleeding feet to have shoes that look good. >> i have to admit that surprised and dismayed me. a little bit of discomfort we are all willing to put up with, but bleeding? i draw the line there. >> me, too. i think wearing high heels makes you strut. i strut, feel strong, independent. i love it. >> it changes what's going on in

here. >> it does. i feel like the boss. >> i agree with that. i think it's empowering to wear heels. >> i agree with that. >> you're coming out with a line of shoes that cater to women between 9 and -- >> 9 to 13. >> why did you want to do that? >> i have so many women saying what size shoe do you need? i don't have large feet for a tall woman. i know women in 12 or 13s and i'm a 10. i want all women to feel empowered. because you're tall doesn't mean you can't wear heels. >> amen. >> i'm tall and i rule. >> you don't care if you tower over the guys. >> i don't care. >> amen to that. if you're tall, be proud. >> how do you think the economy affected our obsession with shoes? >> it's easier to update your wardrobe with shoes than to buy a new look. even the wealthy women aren't

doing that. if i were your height i would walk in flats all day. >> really? >> i need these. >> it's the way your body is. >> if i was 6'5" i would still wear six-inch heels. i met men that are this short and say, oh, wow! >> big mistake women make with shoes? >> if it's not comfortable in the store it will never be comfortable. leather and suede can be stretched as long as a shoemaker stretches it. patent does not stretch. >> i don't like seeing women in kitten heels. i'm like, girl, are you serious? you have on a kitten heel? stop. >> they fly off the foot and mules, too. try to walk fast in it. >> i am sick! that's all i know. crazy and nasty. >> thank you all so much. >> pleasure. >> tomorrow, we'll look at our obsession with looking younger.

up next, simon cowell a his new show and the simonless "american idol" right after this. to deal with the sadness, the loss of interest, the lack of energy. [ male announcer ] ask your doctor about pristiq -- a prescription medicine proven to treat depression. pristiq is thought to work by affecting the levels of two chemicals in the brain -- serotonin and norepinephrine. tell your doctor right away if your depression worsens or you have unusual changes in mood, behavior, or thoughts of suicide. anti-depressants can increase suicidal thoughts and behaviors in children, teens, and young adults. pristiq is not approved for children under 18. do not take pristiq with maois. taking pristiq with nset pain relievers, aspirin, or blood thinners may increase bleeding risk. tell your doctor about all your medications, including those for migraine, to avoid a potentially life threatening condition. pristiq may cause or worsen high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or glaucoma. tell your doctor if you have heart disease, or before you reduce or stop taking pristiq. side-effects may include nausea, dizziness and sweating.

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so, try honey roasted, honey bunches of oats! heck try 'em all. we are back with the man america liked to hate on "american idol." now simon cowell is ready to bring tough love back to the states with a u.s. version of the hit british competition show "the x factor." simon, good morning. good to see you. >> matt, how are you? >> i'm doing okay. we miss you here. >> i miss you, too. >> that's good. it's a nice moment we're sharing. tell me about this show. there are a lot of other talent shows on television. you know obviously "american idol" and "america's got talent," and some dance shows. why is this different? >> well, you're right. there are a lot of shows. we started this show -- i mean, "idol" started in the uk, as you know. this show took over from "idol"

in the uk five or six years ago. it became a big, big hit over here. i think essentially because whereas "idol" is about singers aged 16 to 29, on this show we decided to broaden it out. so on this show you could be 12 years old. you could be 20 years old. and there is literally no upper age limit. and we have invited -- this is what we have done for years. we have vocal groups competing in the same competition. so in the final you could have a 14-year-old versus a 40-year-old. >> the age thing was in the paper this morning actually. i was reading about it. i know you were opposed to the idea of much younger contestants a couple years ago. you have changed your mind. are you worried that a 12-year-old or 13-year-old might not be able to handle the intense stress that comes along with a competition like this? >> yeah. historically, matt, i have seen

a lot of these kid singers who looked like they were being pushed into the audition room by those awful stage moms. i just hated it. they all sang "good ship lollipop" and it was excruciating or that awful song from "annie," "tomorrow." nobody wants to sit through that. what's changed over the years is you look at somebody like willow smith now and the girl who did well on "america's got talent," she was 11. >> jackie, yeah. >> you take it case-by-case. i work for sony. we are seeing a new wave of 12-year-olds, 13, 14-year-olds who didn't watch "i dodol" and y have come about it in a different way. they want to be contemporary pop stars. i thought long and hard and i want to give the kids a chance.

i will take it case by case. >> who will be the judges with you on "the x factor" in the states? i hear rumors about paula abdul, katy perry, mick jagger. give me something other than your name, simon? >> really? definitely not mick jagger. honestly, i don't know. i was talking to somebody on friday who i really, really want to be on this show. >> who? >> i'm waiting on a decision. i'm not going to say. i really, really at this point can't say. i'm sworn to secrecy. they'll be cute. and the guy won't be as good-looking as me. >> why would he be? hey, listen, i was reading that you're really not watching "american idol" this year. why? >> well, because it's on a different time here in the uk. i watched, like, some clips last week to kind of, you know, get

up to speed. it looked good. >> how do you think the judges are doing, simon? >> i think they're doing fine. you know, they have a different approach to, you know, what i used to do before. i think the show had to reinvent itself. i think it's right that it's a different show to what we made before. >> yeah. >> and, you know, i left the show on fantastic terms. i still talk to randy and ryan. i still talk to kenny, one of the executive producers. so we're still good friends. but we're going to be competitors, make no mistake. >> you gave me zero on your judges. are you going to the royal wedding? >> i haven't been invited. >> do you think you will be? >> no. >> really? okay. who's designing the dress? i need to know. >> i will be allowed to wave in the streets. >> who's designing the dress? >> who's designing the dress?

um, um, i haven't got a clue. >> you're giving me nothing, simon! nothing! >> i don't know anything about royal weddings. >> okay. good morning to you, 8:26 right now. want to check the forecast. >> it has been a winning stretch of weather for us lately but all good things must come to an end. as of tomorrow going to drop off into the 50s. cold air on the way, but right now it is pretty mild out there. temperatures in the 70 degree range. you can see the spottily clouds on the way. temperatures turning cold by 4:00 pm and colder tonight than

it was last night. >> we still have southbound 680 in towards south mission boulevard one lake still blocked flt a truck went over onto its skid. we'll follow that alert and i'll give you updates via twitter. southbound 880 coming down not so bad. through san mateo slow high-wind advisories as well.

new california driver's license may be too high tech for its own good. the company is having problems with the knew security features. a number of the lpss have pictures that aren't aligned and in correct colors. it may take up to a month before you receive your new card in the mail.

we're back now. 8:30 on a tuesday morning. it's the 8th day of february, 2011. nice group of people gathered on the corner of 49th street and rockefeller plaza. not bad out today. temperature of about 39 degrees. these people can handle it. out on the plaza, i'm matt lauer along with meredith vieira and al roker. speaking of temperature and cold, a young lady who is

literally allergic to it. >> she's 9 years old and can't eat, drink or be exposed to anything below 70 degrees. no ice cream, snowball fights or anything. she even has to warm her clothes. we'll talk to her ahead. what a beautiful smile she has. >> that warms you up. also, celebrating and preserving the tradition of african-american cooking. chef jeff henderson is here with some mouth-watering selections from a new cookbook. >> also, we have real sharks in the studio. >> really? >> real sharks from the animal kingdom. that's not one of them, but there are a lot of creatures you won't expect in a television studio that will be in stud crow this -- studio this morning and some have unusual mating habits. >> speaking of things with unusual mating habits let's bring in ed helm, star of "the office" and the new movie "cedar rapids." good to see you. >> a pleasure. i don't know if you know, but it's very cold out here.

>> thank you. >> perfect. >> and you don't have a coat. >> first leading role. you have been in a lot of movies. this is the first time as the lead. how do you feel? >> i know. someone made a huge mistake. it was a clerical glitch. i'm excited. this movie in particular is something that i have been a part of since the very beginning. the idea of it and -- >> you're executive producer of it. >> that, too. it's something i'm invested in and proud of. >> you describe tim lippe, the character as too naive to be cynical. hard to play someone so optimistic. >> right? because we are all so cynical. >> annoying. >> you know, that's why it's fun actually. i am kind of a jaded, cynical person in a lot of ways. and there is fantasy in going back to the hopefulness of when we were younger and didn't know how bad the world is.

tim lippe doesn't have that awakening until much later in life. >> in "the office," andy bernard, "the nard dog." i understand this is steve carell's last season. does the nard dog want to go to the front office? >>'m sure he'll make a concerted effort to get in there, as will the cast. thank god steve carell's been dragging us down. >> oh, man. >> and will farrell will drag us through the mud for four more episodes. >> oh! >> he's coming on actually -- we start shooting with him next week. >> and steve leaves before the end of the season. that's interesting. >> it is interesting. we'll have four episodes after he leaves and then to the post steve carell era. >> good luck with "cedar

rapids." >> thank you. >> it opens, when, ed? >> when does it open? >> this friday. >> and "the office" airs thursdays at 9/8 centrale time on nbc. >> any more plugs to get in? >> i'm good. we got it all in. >> what we don't have yet is it is looking good today. we are talking about temperatures in the upper 60s low 70s. we have a system of low pressure that will drop temperatures significantly turning cool by 4:00 p.m. temperatures aren't going to fall all that much. we're back to 69 by saturday. where?

>> go to weather channel on cable or weather.com online. >> i will do that. >> good. >> okay. up next, the 9-year-old girl allergic to cold. first this is "today" on nbc.

we are back now at 8:37 with "today's health." imagine not being able to play in the snow, eat ice cream or jump into a cool swimming pool. 9-year-old priscilla is literally allergic to cold. we'll talk to her but first here's nbc's mara schiavocampo. >> reporter: for 9-year-old priscilla, winter's chill is downright dangerous. >> i check the weather a lot. i have to always bundle up. >> reporter: the 4th grader from upstate new york must stay warm to stay healthy. she suffers from a rare condition called cold

ertacharya. simply put, she's allergic to cold. >> she has swelling of the ankles, joint pain. she gets nauseous with it and she's fatigued and lethargic. >> reporter: almost two years ago she started breaking out in hives after swimming. her mother thought she might be allergic to sunscreen. weeks later using an ice cube, doctors determined cold was the culprit. >> i was disappointed. inside i felt horrible. >> reporter: too much exposure to low temperatures and priscilla can break out in hives or go into anaphylactic shock, shutting down her airways. >> i do worry about it. every day. >> reporter: now she has to make sure she doesn't go anywhere with temperatures below 70 degrees. >> usually we keep it higher for winter. >> reporter: it's not just room temperature. priscilla has to keep everything

around her warm, from what she eats and drinks, to bath water, to the clothes she puts on after showering. she has to give up some of the things kids love most -- like ice cream and swimming. she takes anti-histamines twice a day and carries an epi-pen everywhere. >> this is your emergency kit? >> yes. >> reporter: for now she's getting used to living with the condition and manages to see a silver lining. >> in the winter time, it's good because i don't have to walk the dog, shovel snow. >> reporter: a little girl warmed by a positive outlook in the face of a cold world. for "today," mara schiavocampo, nbc news, new york. >> priscilla is here with her paren parents colleen and craig and her sister paige along with dr. nancy snyderman. you figured it out. no walking the dog, no shoveling snow. way to go. how are you? >> good. >> yeah?

the serious side is this is a little tough, isn't it? >> mm-hmm. >> you have had to adapt to a lot. how's it going? >> okay. >> yeah? still a lot to get used to? >> right. >> i want people to know what it's like for you to go out on a day like this, for example. it's about 38, 39 degrees here in new york. before i ask you to tell me what it feels like, can we make sure people know we did not endanger her in any way bringing her here, correct? >> no, not at all. >> she can go out if she's bundled up and she's okay even though it's chilly in the studio. you feel okay? >> i think she got a little hot. you overcompensated. >> we put the heat up too much in here. what does it feel like if you go out without a sweater or don't have the proper coat. what does it feel like? >> it usually doesn't happen. but it feels cold on a day like this. but if it was a day like this it doesn't feel as cold as a day

like in the 20s. >> you get itchy immediately and you would start to see hives quickly? >> mm-hmm. >> within a few minutes. that's a hard question because we are so aware of it, we never put her in that situation. she's never unprepared in cold weather. >> that brings up the next question. how hard has it been as a family to adapt to this condition? >> i think we are doing great. >> we are. >> we have lots of layers and we're always prepared. i think actually the question should go back to priscilla of the adjustments she's had to make. i think some things that are difficult for her, an extreme situation could be potentially very dangerous. we choose avoidance. >> i know if my kids were watching now they would say, you don't get to eat ice cream? that's a disaster for my kids. >> it is. >> a lot of times people look at parents annud think these paren

are cuckoo, they have made it up. or it's winter and your skin is dry. there is medical validity to this. >> in priscilla's case it's triggered by cold. the hives can be triggered in other people having an allergic reaction to a lot of things. >> ertocharya means hives and itching. whether it's nylon, a seafood allergy or cold. it's variations on a theme. >> i prefer this to a nut allergy. i feel that cold urticaria is more manageable. >> you have to figure out everywhere there is nuts in the diet and everything. you live in upstate new york. >> yes. >> my first reaction is, is this something where you are going to relocate the family to florida or arizona or something like that? >> well, we have discussed that. it's almost worse because everything in florida is air conditioned. so she'd be more limited there

than here. you know, winters are hard, but it would be worse all year round in florida. >> yeah. >> everything is air conditioned so publically she would be limited. >> paige, have you become more protective of your little sister? >> yeah, sometimes. >> you would have to be. >> do you walk around in a t-shirt all the time she's in a sweater? >> yeah. >> she is the hottest child. i don't think i can tolerate the cold anymore. i'm so used to such a hot environment. so paige is in shorts and a tank top and i have her bundled up. we try to find a balance. >> do patients often outgrow this? >> they can. there are some numbers of 15 to 25% of people suffer from some variation of this. some more severe. there is a possibility because this struck young that she may outgrow this as a young adult. no guarantees. the question is are there other ale jis berto tomlergies in the?

time will tell. >> thanks for coming in. family, thank you very much. nancy, thank you so much. up next in "today's kitchen" chef jeff shares recipes with soul. first this is "today" on nbc.

back at 8:46. this morning on "today's kitchen," we are going back to basics with jeff henderson from the food network. he's co-author of the "america i am pass it down cookbook." good morning to you. soul food isn't just good. it's part of american history. >> yes, it is. we have a great book called the "america i am" cookbook where we collected soul food recipes from around the country. >> this is from a writer, imani wilson. it's her brown stew chicken.

>> with a special green sauce. this is a local queens recipe that's african, caribbean. we have herbs to turn it into a green sauce. >> we took the skin off? >> we'll use it like a crackling like in pork. we have a green sauce. >> what's in it? >> green sauce, you have chives, shallots, cilantro, fresh thyme. put a little bit here. >> on the skin and the chicken. >> marinates it very well. this is a caribbean-inspired -- this recipe came from imani wilson's grandmother. >> speaking of grandmothers and grandfathers your grandparents were influential. not just cooking school where you got your influence. >> my grandfather is from new orleans. my grandmother always set the table and helped with the sweets a little bit. i have a lifelong experience being inspired by great southern cooking. >> this is not bad. what's in there? >> these are the skins.

we cooked them down with the marinade, with the green sauce, nice and crispy. over here we have where we kicked off the aromatics, leeks. we add a little bit -- >> so we took the chicken out? was it totally cooked? >> just seared. we add the sugar to caramelize it. this is a little bit of a sweet dish. here we have the finished product. the caramelized sugar right here. >> do you add things in? >> we'll add allspice, fresh garlic. >> wish people had smell-o-vision. >> peppers. >> just leave it whole? >> leave it whole. we're going to infuse it. add soy sauce and let it cook down. add the chicken to it. >> put it back in. >> add a little bit of water as well. >> how high is the flame in the

pot? >> medium for a good 45 minutes or so. take the chicken, grab a pair of tongs and the chicken goes in here like that. we let it stew and cook with the top on. we have a finished product as well. >> let's see the finished product which is very, very nice. >> yeah. we serve this here with white rice and we have a stew. you can smell the aroma and everything in there. we'll bring out a nice breast, set it on top like this. put that nice broth, natural juices coming out of there. >> that smells so good, jeff. you also in the book encourage people to jot down their own family recipes. >> yes. >> why is that important? >> this is a community cookbook. we want to collect the recipes that have been passed down. we decided to put notebooks in the back where you can jot down family recipes and restore the history. >> all right. >> we have a little bit of garnish here. >> i'm going to say thank you.

the book is "america i am." jeff, thank you. >> my pleasure. >> up next, a firsthand lesson on love and promiscuity in the animal kingdom. let's eat. [ female announcer ] for a limited time, get sizzler's 6oz, fresh cut, tri-tip steak plus our endless salad and dessert bar for just $10.99. sizzler. thinking fresh. everyday. ♪ oh, lord, won't you buy me a mercedes-benz? ♪ ♪ [ whistling ] ♪ [ engine turns over ] that's my car! ♪ [ male announcer ] introducing the new line of mercedes-benz. welcome to the family.

back now with "today's call of the wild." valentine's day in the animal

kingdom. we are here to talk about the mating habits of different creatures. good morning, julie. >> we have so much love going on at sea world and busch gardens we had to share some. these are spoon-bills, gorgeous birds. >> this one's trying to mate with meredith. >> he does like you. i'll pass him off here. this is padre and matt has panini. they have a beautiful courtship ritual. the male brings sticks to the female and the female kind of decides whether the sticks are good enough. >> that's how it is at home. >> she decides the sticks are good enough then she'll build the nest and allow mating. >> and they are monogamous. >> serially. >> meaning? >> every year padre has to go through the procedure again. >> oh!

>> i got it. >> that sounds familiar. >> sounds like human families a little bit. >> so we have our hands full. ann and al, grab our next participants. >> oh, lovely. >> this is a bull frog. >> african-american bull frog. one of the largest species of bull frogs -- >> wow, that's great. too bad we don't have another one. >> we do, al. right here for you. >> oh. >> he doesn't feel bad. just squirmy. >> how do the males attract the females? >> with their voices. >> hello. >> the bigger they are -- and they reach the size of dinner plates. the bigger they are the deeper their voice. >> i love to love you. >> and the females respond to that. >> feeling rejected. >> watch out. don't let it jump. >> oh! what's he doing? >> they do pea sometimes. be careful. >> thank you so much. those guys don't actually -- >> oh!

they really don't mate. >> matt -- >> the female will actually depot sit the eggs and the male will fertilize them externally. >> oh, all right. >> okay. >> next we have some primates which are monogamous animals. >> oh! >> but only 90% of birds are monogamous but only 3% -- [ laughter ] >> what are these? >> these are called owl monkeys. >> hi! >> well, we know how they mate. there we go. >> these two are a pair. can i just say, they don't smell good. they're pungent. >> in the wild, always worse. >> what do we need to know about their mating habits? >> you're about to find out. >> exactly. >> they do stay together -- >> aww!

>> matt lauer, the love monkey. >> they love you. >> oh, wow. >> she kissed me on the lips. >> no tongue. >> we have some cheating going on. >> you know, there is cheating in the animal world, the same as with humans. >> really? >> believe it or not -- and i'd hate to say this before valentine's day, but it increases the fitness. >> it's good? >> more genetic diversity and all that. it's been found that it's not always -- >> go to town, matt. >> you want to real quickly talk about the sharks there? i have both of those. >> these are sharks? they don't look like sharks. >> these are bamboo sharks and they are promiscuous. >> ten seconds, julie. >> these guys will lay eggs. i want to show you this. >> we have only nine seconds left. >> watch this.

this is what they lay and this is t that is right. big sig alert. right near the exit the truck is on it's side. it is still taking 45 minutes

longer than they thought. it is blocking two lanes now. there is a slow jam up. the back up starts passing highway 84. we'll get the live shot out of there. the express lane is what i'm suggesting you use. he said it is about seven blocks. we'll have more after the break. [ male announcer ] 95% of all americans aren't getting enough whole grain.

but actually, it's easier than you think, because general mills big g line of cereals is america's number one source of whole grain at breakfast. there's whole grain in every box... ♪ ...from chex... to cheerios... to lucky charms. so you can get the whole grain you want with the taste y le. get started on the whole grain you're missing with your favorite big g cereals. make sure to look for the white check. san francisco is excited about hosting the 2013 america's cup. a lot needs to be done before the ship rolls in. construction has to start by early next year. it must also take place. that can take up to 24 months.

state law requires state review. another update in a half hour. last week see said that people like us are san francisco's bay biggest polluters. a viewer said how about bottled wa water? bay lover believes every city should make it easy for residents to clean up their act starting with banning plastic bags. keep it up, i found local packaging stores willing to take my bag or box of chips in for reuse and amy offers another

great tip. i made a trip to the house hold waste facilities to get rid of household toxins. join us think line at nbceditorials.com. back now with more of "today" on a tuesday morning. 8th day of february, 2011. nice people gathered on a day that's improving dramatically before it deteriorates with cold air rushing into the new york area. temperatures, what, around the 20s? >> tonight getting down to 14 degrees. >> that's without the wind. >> speaking of wind, i'm standing downwind of you now. >> i was thinking the same thing. >> funky monkey. >> everyone at home says, how cute. let me tell you, they reeked. this suit, it's the last time you will ever see this suit. >> going to the dry cleaners. >> and the one -- i don't know if it was the male or the female -- kissed me square on the lips. >> you're not sure, but you're

going to find out. >> it is getting close to valentine's day. >> what bothers me is he doesn't write, no calls, nothing. i'm matt lauer along with natalie morales and al roker. coming up, mark zuckerberg, the facebook founder, has taken out a restraining order against a man he says was causing a threat to him, tormenting him at work and home, sending e-mails and contacting him and his sister. we'll have more on that unusual story coming up. >> then in our diet s.o.s., not all breads are created equal. joy bauer will be along to tell us what to look for on the label when trying to be healthy and plus some kid-approved healthy eating options when you are eating out. >> all right. jill martin is back with special steals and deals saving you on everything from dresses to shoes to electronics. great discounts for the "today" show audience. also ahead, it's called niche dating whether you are in the market for a sugar daddy.

>> a monkey. >> a younger man. a monkey. there is someone for everyone out there. online maybe you can find your match. >> i did just get a really sweet text message from the monkey. >> missing you already. >> ann curry has the headlines at the news desk. >> good morning, everybody. we begin with a serious story. a stunning rise in the death toll from the protests in egypt. the u.s. is reporting 300 people have been killed since the uprising began. protesters are renewing demands for president hosni mubarak to leave office and many are now rallying around a google executive who said he started the facebook page to help organize the protesters. he's just been released from di tension and is expected to appear at the protests. meantime mark zuckerberg has a restraining order against a 31-year-old man who he claims is stalking and threatening him.

miguel almaguer has the story. >> reporter: he's the face of facebook but mark zuckerberg has at least one friend he apparently never wanted. facebook confirms the creator of the social networking site has been granted a restraining order against perdeep manukanda pending a court hearing this month. as first reported by tmz.com, he's a facebook subscriber who allegedly stalked zuckerberg on and off line. according to tmz, court papers say manukanda tried to follow, surveil and contact mr. zuckerberg using language threatening his personal safety. tmz reports he sought out zuckerberg, the world's youngest billionaire, at facebook's offices in palo alto, looking for, quote, money for his financially strapped family. tmz said he wrote to zuckerberg, time is running out for me.

i owe entire my life at your service. please help me. then i am ready to die for you. two weeks ago police got involved after manukonda went to zuckerberg's home he was stopped by facebook security. officers told him to leave the property and he was given a verbal warning. four days later, tmz said manukonda wrote a letter to zuckerberg saying if i get a chance to work with you in the near future it would be my honor. lighthouse is more powerful than churches. it perfectly suits you. the handwritten letter was reportedly sent with flowers. nbc news contacted manukonda who confirmed the restraining order but declined comment. meanwhile, zuckerberg said, trying to make the world a more open place by helping people connect and share, but apparently not quick like this. for "today," miguel almaguer,

nbc news, los angeles. in other news, the white house is making a major push for wind power announcing 50.5 million dollars in spending for offshore wind farms. nearly 80% of the nation's electricity demand comes from 28 coastal states. and they say revenge is a dish best served cold. that certainly appears to have been the case for one chicago man after he caught a woman on surveillance camera stealing his shovel to dig out her car from a mound of snow. so he decided to teach her a lesson by using a snow blower to bury her car once again. that is cold. he may not get the shovel back for a while. it's five minutes past the hour. let's go back to al for a check of today's weather. hey, al. >> he could have just asked for the shovel back. that wouldn't have been fun. let's check your weather. see what's happening. we have this southern storm track bringing snow to denver and wichita today. dives to the south to bring rain to houston and dallas.

more snow for atlanta and northern georgia. the good news is for the northeast, that storm moves offshore and avoids us. snowfall amounts generally from 9 to 12 inches of snow in central kansas. we are looking at the northeast. lake-effect snow could be nine to 12 inches between pulaski and watertown, new york. well we are seeing a windy start to your tuesday. i think the winds are going to start to subside about 11:00 am. 49 in san mateo. definitely less windy for the second half of your day. we have a big change on the way. this is a cold air mass that is trying to push into the bay area. as it does, we are going to see temperatures plummet for the start of the day. 74 degrees before then.

time for joy's diet s.o.s. where we answer your diet questions. this morning what to look for when buying whole wheat and kid-friendly options when eating out. today nutritionist joy bauer is a registered dietitian. >> hi, al. >> we'll go to skype. we have brian in louisville, kentucky. what's your question for joy? >> hi, joy. i'm wondering, are rye and pumpernickel breads considered whole grain? >> unfortunately 99% of the time, no. they are basically white bread in disguise. there are some smaller companies that make high quality 100% whole grain versions of rye and pumpernickel. there are other brands you can get in supermarkets that offer a blend that is partially white and partially whole grain, like pepperidge farm. but stuff at the deli and restaurant is refined white bread. if you look at the ingredient label the first word is enriched wheat flour.

later on in the ingredient list you see rye flour. neither of the flours have the word "whole" before it. don't think pumpernickel is automatically whole grain because of the dark color. it gets the dark color from a prolonged baking time frame. that then caramelizes the sugars and the carbs and gives it that authentic dark tone. in fact, some companies take a shortcut and add in caramel coloring and molasses to give it the authentic look. the bottom line is -- >> read the label. >> read the label. get high quality whole grain companies if you can find them or make it an occasional splurge every once in a while. >> all right. our next question is -- we have casey on the phone from salizar, oklahoma. good morning. what's your question? >> caller: good morning. joy, i have two boys. connor is 13 and tyler is 11. due to our hectic schedules we often need to eat out at local, family-style restaurants like chili's or applebee's.

we always end up ordering nachos or buffalo wings. my question is what are some healthier choices? >> that's a great question. the absolute easiest thing to do is look at the section on these menus that are the healthier sort of diet sections and order anything from there. for example, chili's has a section called guiltless grill. i know applebee's has a section they just instituted called "under 550 calories." anything goes in those sections. but there are universal delicious kid-friendly options you can get at any family restaurant. grilled chicken sandwich or wrap. chicken or shrimp skewers, plain hamburgers, hold the cheese and swap the cheese for vegetables or fruit. chicken or shrimp fajitas, grilled sirloin steak with vegetables and a potato. any pasta. add chicken and broccoli and marinara sauce so you have protein and fiber. when it comes to dessert, one

dessert and split it amongst the table. rotate who gets to order. tyler one night, connor next time. mom, you, casey, the third time you're out. this way you get a few bites of something delicious and decadent but it is healthy. >> all right. good luck. now to boston, massachusetts and sari. she writes, i'm on a mission to lose 20 pounds. my family loves chinese food. we eat it all the time. what can i order that won't wreck my diet? >> the key operative word when it comes to cheap s ts to chine steamed. order a steamed entree -- chicken or shrimp or tofu with mixed vegetables and get the sauce you prefer on the side. it can be black bean, garlic. add one to two tabl spoons on to your steamed entree. if you need more moisture, add low sodium soy sauce. you will have a delicious meal for half the calories, half the

fat and half the salt. when it comes to the starch, one large scoop of steamed brown rice or have two to three steamed vegetable dumplings. and a fortune cookie is only 30 calories. >> thanks, joy. coming up next, saving money on everything from electronics and accessories. and later coming up more on prince william. first these messages. [ female announcer ] bedtime is not for sleeping. the monster was furious! rarrr! it's for laughing... [ laughs ] [ female announcer ] ...pretending... and the mouse went, "wha-wha-wha, why?" [ giggles ] [ female announcer ] ...seeing things differently... and then the boy bit the dragon! [ female announcer ] ...and for being with your favorite storyteller... are q and.[ uiana ] et bit the dragon! i [ female announcer ] ...and for being with ywhen you are quiet.eller... [ female announcer ] ...even after he goes home to nevada. [ grandpa ] and i love you when you are loud! [ female announcer ] hallmark recordable storybooks. ♪ make your voice their valentine.

i needed to lose weight right in my hands. sophomore year, started weight watchers online, the weight started coming off. ahh! oh my gosh! [ laughs ] we're college kids, we go out all the time. having my food tracker on my phone, i can figure out what i'm having at the restaurant. i lost 73 pounds with weight watchers online. i don't think i've ever smiled this much in my whole life. it kind of hurts my cheeks. [ female announcer ] join for free today. weight watchers online. finally, losing weight clicks. weight watchers online. everybody's talking about honey bunches of oats. whoa...with cinnamon! it's got warm, freshly baked cinnamon

in one delicious heart healthy cereal. mmmm. can't you just taste it? try honey bunches of oats with cinnamon. heck, try 'em all. so we took her to our olive garden. just us girls.

we kept the fun going all through dinner. introducing olive garden's new artisanal raviolis. try our creamy asiago cheese ravioli topped with pan-seared chicken. or try our pear and gorgonzola ravioli topped with sauteed shrimp. starting at just $10.95. with unlimited salad and breadsticks. it was really cool just hanging out -- the three of us. olive garden. when you're here, you're family. this morning on our popular series "jill's steals and deals" deep discounts for "today" viewers. jill martin is back with deals on everything from shoes to scarfs and electronics.

good morning. >> good morning. >> let ee's tell people what to expect. >> get ready. for 24 hours retailers give us deals. go to todayshow.com, get a code and that will link you to the website. >> right. >> be patient. move fast because the deals go quickly. neither i nor "today" benefit from these great steals and deals. >> starting with the great dresses by michelle jonas. >> look at the dresses. >> all these colors. >> it's in this bag. you see how it's in the bag? originally $200. steals & deals priced $49. comes in black, white, red or gray. it's a stretch jersey. celeb fans include angelina jo lie, heather graham. we have a picture here. great for going day to night. >> it's perfect for even over the swim suit or whatever down by the beach.

>> wonderful. very comfortable. >> that's 75% off the retail price. a really good bargain. over here to the fantastic leather clutches. they are adorable. they come in dark brown and black. >> you see the heart, butterfly, rose. premium leather. 14 carat gold-plated hardware. celebrity fans include halle berry, mila kunis, drew barrymore. $40, that's 78% off. it holds a lot in the clutch. it's gorgeous and chic. great to throw in your work bag during the day and take out at night. >> clutches are the trend. you can get whatever hardware you love. now, for the guys or ladies who like to make sure they have their gadgets powered up. this is a great way to do it. >> this is good for al. >> tons of gadgets. >> this is the starter kit.

the portable mat with universal power. i want to make it clear what it is. it comes with the mat and one device with seven adapters. this plugs into the wall. le forget your chargers. then buy additional devices to charge all of these. so if you want to charge three things at once you need to buy more of these. >> and there is a usb port for a fourth. you get rid of all the chargers and it packs into this. >> you can take it when you travel. >> and they are going to incorporate these in cars so you can put the phone down and it charges. >> $99 and the deal price is $16. >> this is your starter kit. if you are a device person this is so great. you can forget about the wires and plug it into the wall. >> it comes with different hook-ups here. >> one device and the mat. >> okay. over here, scarf by donny charm. you have two different styles, multiple colors here.

>> our stage manager grabbing it already on the computer. these are fun. they are cotton and a cotton blend. this has a pocket. it's johnny angel. one has keepsake pockets with good luck charms. rihanna, jessica biel and they say it's a charming way to remember the people you love. $ $95 retail. our price is $26, 73% off. these go all year round. >> wonderful. great. we were talking about being obsessed with shoes. >> this is timely. >> for the first time ever we have shoes as the steals & deals. >> these are by carlos. >> by santana. >> they say they are inspired by his music. round, open toe, three and a half inch heel. retail $89. our price is $26.70. that's 70% off. this is a dressy shoe. if you have a simple black dress you can dress it up.

something for everyone. comes in six colors. >> 70% off the retail price. all real bargains here. thank you so much. we'll remind you the products are the dresses by michelle nas, the leather clutches, portable mat charger, the scarf by johnny charm and carlos santana shoes. head to todayshow.com for promotion codes and websites. coming up, finding the love of your life with help from niche dating sites. first these messages. i feel like i have to wind myself up to deal with the sadness, the loss of interest, the lack of energy. [ male announcer ] ask your doctor about pristiq®, a prescription medicine proven to treat depression. pristiq is thought to work by affecting the levels of two chemicals in the brain, serotonin and norepinephrine. tell your doctor right away if your depression worsens or you have unusual changes in mood, behavior, or thoughts of suicide. antidepressants can increase suicidal thoughts and behaviors in children, teens and young adults.

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we want to say hello to the latest two contestants voted off "the biggest loser couples." >> good morning. >> good morning. >> don, you gained nine pounds when your brother dan after a few weeks before he was voted off. how did that make you feel? >> well, obviously it was -- it makes you feel bad. it's a weight loss competition, not a weight gain competition. >> i'd like to sign up for that. >> you gained on purpose so you would be voted off? >> no. that time was strictly inadvertent. i had no explanation. the second time when i was voted off, that was intentional. >> now that you're home with your brother, are you working out, losing more? >> very successful at home. doing well. i lost about 87 pounds so far. >> terrific. >> that's good. >> it's going really well. >> the ranch was tough for you

to adjust. >> it was tough if you're a control freak like i am. but it was effective. i learned what i needed to know to do this at home. >> and laramie, your husband is on the ranch. you sacrificed yourself so he could stay there. >> yes, i did. >> that's true love. >> yes, it is. >> how is he doing? >> he's doing very well, from what i know. they keep even the spouses away. >> that's got to be tough. >> it is. we haven't been apart for longer than a day. it was a lot harder than i thought it would be. >> how much have you lost since you have been home? >> since i have been home i have lost an additional 39 pounds. >> wow. >> all together i have lost 81 pounds. >> do you think the at-home prize is in your future? >> oh, yeah. i totally have that. >> she's on it. >> don and laramii, thank you so much. it airs tonight at 8:00/7:00

central on nbc. >> and miranda cosgrove will be stopping by after your local news. my son josh loves her. >> i'm glad my daughter didn't know about this. ♪ you know how i feel i feel like jennifer hudson but with new arms, new legs, and this smile. ♪ freedom is mine ♪ and i know how i feel i'm loving weight watchers new pointsplus program and the edge it's giving me. ♪ it's a new dawn, a new day i've got even more control now. ♪ and i'm feeling good go on, join for free. weight watchers new pointsplus. because it works. [ light breathing ] [ sigh ] [ male announcer ] for a better-looking tomorrow. vicks nyquil cold & flu. the nighttime sniffling, sneezing, coughing, aching, fever, best sleep you ever got with a cold...medicine. ♪ heaven comes to earth. rich, creamy, thick dannon greek, the most delicious yogurt imaginable.

heaven on earth! discover dannon greek good morning checking the windy forecast. >> keeping temperatures on the mild side. we are in the 50s across the board ending up today in the upper 60s and low 70s. this will turn our temperatures cooler. you can see the spotty clouds overhead. 69 in red wood city and 69 in fair field. breezy conditions but it is windy out there right now. keep that in mind. temperatures are going to drop

to 59 for the high for tomorrow. 60 for thursday. rain in the mix heading into sunday and monday. >> it is tough. we are talking about a live look out there. you see that folks are heading southbound through the express lane. it is slow on the map. you will see how faf it goes back and to the south of mission boulevard. where that sig alert continues. we have two lanes blocked. this is three hours after the accident happened. very, very slow through the area. use that express when you pay $7 but well worth it to get through the back up. where they mead there and the st ofbounfiaftrhe northbountraf as well. bo

turns out that dozens of kids got the virus from a camp.

more than 50 kids got sick after a visit from the walker creek camp. they did have the virus, but they think that the illness spread between the children and not through food or water. the department says the first child was likely infected with that virus before they got to the camp. city commission banned the inflatables from parks citing budget cuts. the plastic houses kill the grass and the process for the permits takes up a lot of city time. nearby cities have similar bands. right now back to the "today" show.

just a few short years ago i was living a normal life, really. [ laughter ] >> facing the daily challenges of a working mom. dashing from meetings to the school pick-up line, struggling to keep it all together for my family, trying to act like i knew what i was doing. >> things have changed a bit for first lady michelle obama in the last few years. tomorrow on "today," mrs. obama will be here live in studio 1a for an exclusive sit-down, her first ever live morning show interview. if you have any questions for the first lady, let us know. go to our website at todayshow.com. we are really looking forward to having her. >> it's nice that we are letting the viewers participate by asking questions.

take advantage and do that. meantime we'll show you how to stand arm in arm with anotherle well known figure, prince figure. you can even don his fiancee's ring on your finger, sort of. and kate middleton may have found her own prince charming, but finding lo can be hard for a lot of women. we'll check out niche dating sites whether you are looking for your intellectual equal, someone younger, maybe a sugar daddy. there is a website for you. we'll tell you about them coming up. yes, where romance meets finance. i checked out the sugar daddy site. i couldn't believe it. >> oh! i got concerned. something we need to call joe about? >> i thought it was hilarious. like really? >> if you like a man who can cook look no further than "today's kitchen." our chef is making glazed short ribs with sweet potato chips that are easy to make any night of the week. >> i love the sizzle.

>> love that sound. >> do you have a lot of sizzle in the forecast? >> we have snow in the forecast, unfortunately, as we look at the next couple of days. storm system from the southwest bringing snow to the rockies today into oklahoma. some areas picking up 12 inches of snow. windy conditions through texas and california. we have snowshowers in new england. tomorrow that storm dives to the south bridging more snow -- bringing more snow and wet weather to the gulf coast and the mid plains. we expect sunshine in the pacific northwest. frigid conditions in the northeast. the plains into the great lakes. bell, it is foeing to be the last day with temperatures at 70 degrees. better in places like santa cruise. 51 in san francisco, we'll turn over to 65 later on today. south bay will reach 70 degrees. east bay looks towards the upper 60s. much cooler for tomorrow have a

great tuesday. and that's your latest weather. >> up next, a fairytail f tale fantasy. how some are getting up close and personal with prince william after this. nothing starts your day like honey roasted, honey bunches of oats. the perfect balance of crunchy flakes and clusters, with a kiss of golden honey. delicious. and the same calories per serving as special k original. so, try honey roasted, honey bunches of oats! heck try 'em all.

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the day of the engagement announcement there were probably more than a few women who thought, i wonder what that must be like, to be kate middleton in that moment. ♪ >> reporter: that's what american artist jennifer ruble was thinking. >> for americans there is just the embodiment of a fairytale. and prince william is prince charming. it is a happy moment where the world is coinciding with our fantasy of the world. >> reporter: which she's hoping to recapture in a london gallery, this time with william made of wax. 6'3", replica of the hand tailored suit, watch and of course the ring, waiting for kate's hand to slip through. the idea is to experience the magic of the moment. what's that, will? who should design my wedding dress? what a great idea. it isn't just william gracing the galleries of london. some artists are grappling with

kate's celebrity. >> questioning the longevity of the celebrities of the past and the celebrities of the future. >> reporter: sure. most people like looking at william and kate anywhere they can find them. plates, mugs, magazine covers. nothing new for the prince but icon status for kate is new territory. ♪ >> it's perplexing. one day you're a normal girl and suddenly you have been offered the world in terms of magazine covers, paintings, statues, things named after you. >> reporter: magazines especially tapped into her fame. a cover with the future princess flies off the shelves. kate, like her prince charming, is now undeniably and unavoidably a celebrity. there is a rumor that kate would be on the cover of vogue. the fashion magazine was trying to increase flagging sales.

reports say she said no to the offer, trying to keep a low profile. diana was on the cover of vogue in 1981, just before her wedding. al? >> stephanie, ask prince william what he thinks about that. >> now that we have such a close relationship, maybe i should. >> stephanie, thanks. >> she's talking to wax figures. clearly, this has gone too far. >> reporter: oh, no. >> thanks, stephanie. >> take care. we want to remind you we'll be sending one lucky viewer and a guest to london during the week of the royal wedding. if you think you should get the royal treatment, send us a video. all the rules are at todayshow.com. make it creative and you will win it that way. coming up next, finding mr. right with the help of niche websites. maybe some royalty on the websites right after this. girl: grandma had come up for a visit. so we took her to our olive garden. just us girls. we kept the fun going all through dinner. introducing olive garden's new artisanal raviolis.

try our creamy asiago cheese ravioli topped with pan-seared chicken. or try our pear and gorgonzola ravioli topped with sauteed shrimp. starting at just $10.95. with unlimited salad and breadsticks. it was really cool just hanging out -- the three of us. olive garden. when you're here, you're family. [ male announcer ] for the things you can't wash, freshen it with febreze. febreze eliminates odors and leaves a light, fresh scent. it's a breath of fresh air. [ male announcer ] it's morning... and quaker loves morning. ♪ because when you start your day with the power of oatmeal it's good for your heart. it gives you energy. and it can turn an ordinary day into an extraordinary day. ♪ quaker oatmeal is more than breakfast.

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this morning on "today's relationships" finding mr. right. the idea of skimming thousands of online dating profiles to find your perfect match may seem daunting but it got easier because of niche dating sites. kelly wallace is here. good morning. >> good morning. >> used to be a little bit of a stigma. i think people felt embarrassed to put themselves out there online. >> the stigma is gone. we see it in the ivillage community. women of all ages talking about online dating, asking advice. they are out in the open. we did a poll 43% of women say online dating is a good way to meet people. the stigma is gone. >> it weeds through the selection process. it helps you find a match potentially. now there are a lot of places to find a match because of all the niche dating sites out there.

>> exactly. they appear to be growing more popular and there are more of them. people are looking for people who meet their passions, have the same interests so they can go to niche sites as opposed to more main stream sites that have been around for years. >> first is for women seeking someone who understands if they have health issues. this can be obviously if you have been through a lot with a disability or a disease. this is somebody who understands that. >> we have all heard it from cancer survivors in particular. as soon as they mention the c word, the guy runs for cover. there is a site called cancermatch.com for disabled people who think other disabled people may be the best match, there is datedisabled.com. >> there is someone for everyone. >> exactly. >> if you are a single mom, looking for someone who won't be scared off by someone saying, oh, my kids there are a couple of site ifser you. >> we hear it a lot. single moms want to be out on

the dating scene and say, the minute i mention i have kids the phone calls aren't returned. there is a site called loc localsinglemoms.com. guys know kids are part of the deal. >> if you want to get intellectual stimulation from your man, there is a great site. >> brainiacsunite. brainy brainiacdating.com. if guys can't keep up, this site might be for you. >> if you are looking for a younger man, cougars, admit it. >> this is popular in hollywood and elsewhere. you're not in your 20s anymore. why not date a guy in their 20s. there are all kinds of sites like cougarlife.com. this is my favorite. milf-date.com. made famous by "the daily show." i can't say it. >> i was going to say -- >> i can't say what it stands

for. i love it. >> if you are passionate about politics and aren't afraid to go there with politics then you've got a site there, too. >> i was thinking about this one. not everyone can be like james carville and mary matalin, opposites politically falling in love. go to republicanpassions.com. for the left leaners there is actf actforlove.org and for the environmentalists, greensingles.com. >> for a man not afraid of a woman with curves, a great site for them as well. bbwpersonalsplus.com. >> not everyone is looking for a six-foot-tall supermodel. they are looking for women with curves. bigger is better. exactly. >> the one i have been talking about is hilarious. for those seeking a sugar daddy. >> exactly. >> you can find it online, too. >> sugarsugar.com. these are women who want to be

wined and dined. >> how do you know you're getting the real deal? a lot of women are saying, okay, let me see what this is about. >> these are wealthy men. >> they have been screened? >> to some degree. they are wealthy men who want to spend money on women. women are saying, okay. >> that site just crashed right now. for someone who shares your culture, language or religion. a lot of sites to go to. >> this gets to the core. people want someone who understands their cultural background and religion. shaadi.com for people of indian heritage. arablounge.com. the others, jdate for people of the jewish religion and twodoves.net for people who follow the bajai religion. there is something for everyone. >> ale whole world left to be explored if you're single. >> ivillage.com for more.

seeking biker dudes, men in uniform. we have it all. >> go figure. a fun place that ivillage. kelly wallace, thank you. i love the research you had to do for that segment. >> we enjoyed it. >> coming up next, all the flavor without all the work. we are making glazed short ribs. that's why it smells so good in here. first this is "today" on nbc.

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this morning in "today's kitchen" glazed short ribs step irkts. eric is the chef and owner of restaurant north outside of new c cooking, keep it simple. good to see you. >> how are you? >> i tried the recipe over the we weekend. it's fantastic. generally you think short ribs take forever. not so much. >> it's a patient process. >> yeah. >> it does take time, but the recipe is so simple that it

lends to easy kind of relaxed cooking. >> first of all, most people used to seeing short ribs cut across. so in a way you have to go to the butcher. >> whole heartedly. the butcher is absolutely important in this process. you are never going to see short ribs with the bones in this manner. you have to get the whole piece, start from the basics. >> so you brown it fat side down first. >> fat side down for three, four minutes until you have a nice golden brown. >> crust. >> caramelize the sugars in the meat. take it out. add mirepoix, black peppercorns. >> and the mirepoix -- >> carrots, onion, celery. add the short ribs back in, bone side up. then cover it half with red wine, half with chicken stock.

>> oh. what kind of wine do you like for this? >> any red wine. my philosophy on cooking wine is if you're not going to drink it -- >> don't cook with it. >> the flavors come through. if it's too old, nasty, why bother? >> who wants nasty? then you put it in the oven. >> right. >> how long? >> 300 degrees for six hours or so until it's fork tender. you can pretty much poke through it and if the fork slides back out you're done. >> take the bones off? >> i like to get under it a little bit. bring it to a new pan that we can press it in and slide the bones right out. >> look at that. >> doesn't get much more tender than that. >> wow. >> i do this different from most people. i press the short ribs. >> why do you do it? >> overnight.

how many times have you gone to a restaurant and had short ribs on the bloated side. there is excess fat that's not necessary. there is too much liquid. so we press it, chill it overnight to compact the meat. it gets the unnecessary fat out and you can cut beautiful portions the size or shape you like. >> how do you reheat that? >> very simply in the reduction of the braising liquid. you separate the meat from the liquid, reduce it down until you get this beautiful -- >> meat syrup. >> exactly. 100%. >> oh, yes. hello. where have you been all my life? >> it's actually a healthy way to do short ribs because you can see the fat come to the top of the meat. you can scrape all the excess fat away. >> right. then you've got sweet potato chips. >> right. a little bit of sweet potato puree, roasted local brussels

sprouts and sweet potato chips. >> hold on. i want to get the full effect here. >> that's winter food at its finest. >> this is the best. you don't even need a knife. look at that. oh, natalie! >> i was waiting for you to call me. >> oh, my. >> i'm standing out there, salivating. this looks amazing. oh oh, my gosh. that is unbelievable. >> thank you. >> that reduction, mm, wow. >> meat syrup. i have never heard it before. >> i bet you have your own dating website. men who can cook! >> i think he's married. eric, thanks so much. >> thank you. i appreciate it. >> if you want the recipe, it is on our website. what's coming up? >> coming up, one of the members of black-eyed peas is stopping by "icarly"'s miranda cosgrove.

our kids are upset they are not here. >> on nick there are only two shows, "spongebob" and "icarly". >> first your local news and weather. the internet on a plane! are you from the future?

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. good morning to you. 51 in concord right now. same in fairfield. mild at the coast. 51 degrees in san francisco. temperatures are going to climb to 70 degrees today. big difference is a system of low pressure that is going to pitch in and turn temperatures cold by 4:00 today. turning cold today and tonight. let's see how those winds are impacting your driving. let me take you out here. we have this slowing that we have seen coming into freemont. green passing mission boulevard. the lane is clear and the sig alert cleared three and a half hours after that accident took place. have to recover out of pleasanton. look at this coming out of

livermore, folks are deciding which way to go. wind advisory there still sticking around. more news. >> thank you. the mayor of palo alto is trying to maintain the city's fire department. city council is reviewing an audit of the fire department. another controversial idea is to have a fire and police department to share resources. palo alto city leaders plan to prioritize recommendations soon. while cal tran struggles with money troubles. cal tran's ceo runs the san mateo county transportation authority. this salary come to light days

after council announced a lot of cuts. we'll have more in a few minutes.

you made it all the way to booze-day tuesday, february 8. we're so glad you're with us today. we thought there would be a lot of snow today and it didn't happen, thank you, lord. >> we were expecting another inch or two, weren't we? >> which is like nothing to us now. >> it is a big old yawn. this show is so exciting on so many levels, but on one level

there is something women are always battling with, varicose veins? >> yes. >> we're doing things this week called life changers. remember, we saw sofma yesterday. she did a tummy tuck, she did a -- and she also did some sucking. today we're doing varicose veins. >> a lot of women battle that, varicose veins and spider veins. >> one woman had them since birth, she was born with them, and another one got them after pregnan pregnancy. somehow you inject them and they disappear into nowhere land. >> just like my fat. >> tell me about that. >> it's a laser and it spots

areas that no matter how much you exercise or diet -- i could do more of both, let's be honest -- but i have what i call my snooki poof, and it basically melts the fat in a certain spot. it's painful, but now it's not because you have this understanding with your technician, and emma is my technician, and she finally realized the right way to do it with me to keep the cooldown at the amount that i needed so it didn't feel like you were being swor scorched. >> and the fat just exits your body. >> we like to say that. >> i looked at the cover of seven teen magazine and said, that girl, that girl, that girl! she's modelling three little outfits in there. >> this kid is adorable.

>> they said she's 16 in there, but she's not, she's 17 and a half, but what the heck. >> do she's got to come all the way into connecticut, it's after school. she would rather style herself, if you know what i mean. >> you know wharks she's one of those kids that all she has to do is shake her hair. we have some video we like to show because we like to entertain people with bits of video. there was a guy in the snow, he had cameras all over the house. he was helping his daughter make an igloo. he left his shovel outside. the neighbor steals the shovel, took it and went and shoveled her parking place and never returned it. so the next time he took a snow

blower and blew it all over her parking place. it took her forever to dig her way out of that spot. why didn't she return it? >> we all understand what he did, but he should have said, may i show you a piece of video, please? why did you take my -- it's one thing to borrow it. why didn't you return it? >> he should have said, why don't you have -- return my shovel? >> we all feel frustration, but that's not good. >> i wonder if he felt good blowing the snow into her spot. you know he did. there is a little bit of a good feeling when you do that. what happened to the golden rule? there is another cool piece of video and there was a robbery gog on going on at a jewelry store, and what you need in that situation is a 70-year-old woman with a

purse. she came in while these men were breaking in -- how obvious, with sledgehammers. >> in the middle of the day. >> is this real? giddy up, granny. ♪ da da da da, da da da, da da da da, da da da da da ♪ >> she starts clubbing them with purses. is this real? >> i guess one of them tries to get away. >> it looks phoney. i'm going on record saying it looks phoney. people were standing there watching with sledgehammers? come on. is that real? >> i don't know, i don't know, but it made our show. >> it did. so valentine's day is the day -- we found out, according to a new study, that women necessarily don't want presents, we just want time and romance. we don't necessarily want gifts. >> and you know what i got in my

mail today? you know how much we love our j.j. starbucks. apparently they will give them a beautiful breakfast and then j.j. will help them learn to pair skate. isn't that lovely? we'll try to put it on hoda.com. a lot of people would be like, how romantic would that be to be in rockefeller center and pair skating with j.j. starbuck? she's the sweetest woman in the world. >> we think women want presents like diamonds and stuff like that, and most women just want a romantic dinner and a little something, a gift that doesn't have to be pricey. i think it's fun and nice to get flowers, like, i love that, and i love that on valentine's day. what i don't love, and this has happened to me before when i was

married, but whenever there was an argument or a fight, flowers would show up. now, here's the thing. i can dial 1-800-flowers and go, hey, send some flowers over there, and when they arrived, he felt like everything was washed away because the flowers came. don't you think that's one of those things that a gift doesn't shake it? >> flowers should never be used for personal communication. nothing says i love you more than i'm sorry. >> and meaning it. >> i'm sorry i hurt you. >> exactly. that's what we're saying. >> here's another thing. so many of these things i don't agree with, these studies that come out. i don't know if it's just that i've lived so long now that i've outlived some of the studies that now they're saying something different than they've said ten years before, but now they're saying couples have the stronger relationship when fathers are the playmate with

the children and the mother is the nurturer. when the parents have a specific role that father plays, mother nurtures, does all the diaper changing, all the feeding, and dad does the fun stuff. >> i think that's ridiculous. i do think you have to blend it. probably women are better at both things, don't you think? >> i don't know. i know some women that i wish had never had children because they're not in yonurturing or pg with their children. i have gray friends who are parents and fantastic at both of them. >> they're saying marriages are stronger when they're in defined roles. that's what they're saying. >> i'd like to think the kids cherish the times they played with their dad, played with me, the times their dad gave them a bath if i wasn't there and vice versa, you know? any time we think we have to do

one thing one way so we have success, no. >> i agree with that. i agree. >> i think our kids want the same thing we want from our spouse. we want you. >> time. >> we want time with you. >> yeah, time. i'm still upset about yesterday and my book that i put out here. >> so sorry, hoda. >> i had a book and it meant a lot to me. it's called "the book of awakening." >> we still going through this? >> i'm having aftershocks because i just saw the book again -- you haven't even read the book so you can't say it's terrible. >> i didn't say it's terrible. that one thing you explained to me yesterday, i thought about it more and i thought, well, that's just dumb. are you going to tell them again? >> no. the guy tries to save the spider. he gets it out of the water. the spider bites him. the next day he goes to the water, tries to save the spider. the spider bites him. the next day he goes to save the

spider. the spider says, are you really going to do this again? and he said, i'm being true to me. >> you blew the story. it's nothing like that. i should never bring it up. forget it. >> pick another story out of that book. >> i love that book. and so does oprah. so there. >> okay. >> it shows that women are more attracted to guys who don't tell them exactly how they feel. when it's unclear what the relationship is about, women are more attracted to those guys than the guys who say, i love you and blurt it right out. >> isn't that why marriages fall apart, because basically the deal is done and nobody works at it anymore? >> remember what rabbi shmuli used to say? he said you still have to make your marriage exciting and some things forbidden and a little

bit of intrigue. >> what was that book called, koshi sutra? >> still to come, our newest fan of the week. it could be you, and let me tell you, if it is you, uyou have a surprise in store. >> get rid of unsightly spider veins once and for all, right after this. [ female announcer ] a quick weight-loss plan

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we're back with our special series we're calling life changers, showing you how to make the most minor to the most major changes to get the look you really, really want. >> today we are talking veins, whether you've got varicose or spider. they show up in women of all ages. we found two women ready to change their lives by changing the appearance of their legs. >> i'm katie. i'm 34 years old and i'm here today to get treatment for my varicose veins. i think i have these veins because both my parents had varicose veins. >> katie as one varicose vein

and several spider veins. >> they're big and ugly. they've bothered me my entire life. >> i am the mother of twins. right after i had my kids, i started noticing all these spider veins and i was very self-conscious about it. >> julie has spider veins and little varicose veins that treat the spider veins. >> i didn't want to wear short skirts, i didn't want to wear a bathing suit. i always go to the beach. >> i only wear long dresses. when i buy clothes, i have to think, is this going to cover my veins? >> even though i put on makeup, it looks so awful. >> acupuncture, i tried tanning. >> i tried exercise and nothing worked. >> i've always been embarrassed by them. >> it's completely unbearable. i think about them all the time.

>> the injection of a chemical compound into the vein closes the vein and makes it disappear. >> i'm planning to go this summer to brazil and i want to wear a bathing suit without covering all these veins with makeup. i'm not going to feel self-conscious about it anymore. >> the outcome of the treatment will be a much better appearance of the spider veins and varicose veins. >> i can hardly wait to wear a skirt. the next time you see me, i'll be in a shorter dress. >> i have a feeling they'll both be in shorter dresses. let's bring out katie freeman and julie tremendovino. >> before you sit, let's see. turn around, if you wouldn't mind. >> there is a huge difference, isn't there? you're not wearing nylons,

right? >> no. it's amazing. >> that looks great! >> way to go, dr. navaro. this is dr. louis navaro at the vein treatment center in new york. you said they got this done last week. >> they need a few weeks to get rid of the bruising. >> you inject something into the vein and then where does it go? >> we inject the vein with a compound, the vein closes. it disappears and the blood goes to healthy veins. >> wow. katie, tell us how you feel. how long have you had these? >> since i was about 18 years old. i was overweight, too, so the weight and the veins, i wasn't feeling so great about myself. then i lost the weight and the veins were still there. >> you tried everything, you tried tanning and panty hose and

all those things. was there anything that came close to working at all? >> no. not at all. >> this was your only alternative? >> it was. >> how painful was it when you got the shot? >> i didn't find it painful at all. they used air and blew cold air on it, and i generally -- >> did you find it painful, julie? >> no. not at all. >> so you go three times and how much time between intervals? >> it depends. usually a week, but two days if necessary. >> julie, when you got the first injections, could you see right away that something was happening? >> yes. i started noticing they were disappearing. >> right away. >> yes, right away. >> what's the recovery time for you guys? you got the shots, and you have to wrap it, too. >> we have to wrap it and overnight we have to wear support panty hose. >> okay. what was the recovery time for you? could you walk around and do

your own thing? >> i could go back to my regular schedule the next day. >> you just wore clothes over it. >> yeah. >> the big thing people want to know is how much does it cost? >> usually it's about 4 to $500 per session and you get 40 to 50 injections. >> so how much would it be? >> it would be $500 times three. >> can you imagine? this would be a lifetime problem for a person and $1500 is a lot of money but it could change their life. >> absolutely. >> you think you're getting blood, so what's the issue here? >> the veins are not working. their blood carrying capacity is minor. >> they're not useful. >> absolutely. you're diverting the flow of the venous blood to healthy veins. >> there is nothing that can go wrong with this? >> superficial. you could develop a little bit

of pig mmentation, but it usual goes away in the next few months. >> julie, i hear your going to brazil. what all are you putting in that bag? >> shorts, skirts, bathing suits. i feel like a new woman. >> show those legs! >> crossing our legs, is that bad for us? >> not really. it is believed but has never really been proven. >> we're happy for you. so it was money well spent. >> i feel wonderful. tomorrow our life changers series moves up the body a bit when we show you how to change your bra size for less or for more. >> another surprise for our newest fan of the week. and later, the woman who puts the i in carly.

♪ [ female announcer ] there's a place called hidden valley where kids not only eat their vegetables, they can't get enough. ♪ hidden valley ranch, makes vegetables delectable. i am a banker with quicken loans. this is kathy, who i helped do her first home loan, and this is her sister tina, who i also helped do her first home loan. it was unbelievable how well it all fell together. kathy said, "well, let me give you rachel's number." easy. easy. easy.

the whole loan process was simple and convenient! that's why i love quicken loans! [ male announcer ] and you'll be glad to know j.d. power and associates ranks quicken loans "highest in customer satisfaction." to learn more call 800-quicken or visit us online at quickenloans.com. or visit us online how can expedia now save me even more on my hotel? well, hotels know they can't fill every room every day. like this one. and this one. and oops, my bad. so, they give expedia ginormous discounts with these: unpublished rates. which means i get an even more rockin' hotel, for less. my brain didn't even break a sweat.

♪ work, work all week long ♪ punching that clock from dusk till dawn ♪ ♪ countin' the days till friday night ♪ ♪ that's when all the conditions are right for a good time ♪ [ male announcer ] advanced technology that helps provide cleaner air, cleaner water, and helps make all of us more energy efficient is something the whole world can get in step with. [ static ] ♪ i need a good time [ male announcer ] ecomagination from ge. it's technology that makes the world work. ♪ it's technology that makes the world work. it is time to give a shout out to one of our biggest fans that we call fan of the week. >> and here we have the lovely sara. >> i don't want to keep you guys waiting. the winner this week, our fan of the week is kerry bergo. she lives in california.

she watches on wacu. she's been a fan of the show since she was a little girl. she now watches with her son and, quote, holds down the fort. she's been quoted on facebook many times. her favorite part is the scoop. she loves your personal views on everything. she watches kathie lee and hoda because it's good for her health. you guys make her laugh a lot. >> how wesweet is she. >> for a huge thank you, though, we're sending her to arizona. three-night stay in ysiba suite, a jeep tour and the hotel and air accommodations were furnished by sedona. >> i'm by biggest fan. i want to go. >> you're not going.

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of tones and highlights, built into every shade. see ya, flat! hello, dimension! [ gigi ] another nice 'n easy success. my work here is done. [ gigi ] it's always dimensional. it's nice 'n easy. your right color. good morning. checking your hang onto your hot forecast. >> hang onto your hat and then by 3:00 p.m. winds will relax and that is when the cold air moves into the area. 57 in hayword. we are on pace to hit 70 degrees today. 65 in san francisco. looking towards a high around 65 degrees. maybe 70 degrees in some of the warmer area.

>> let's find out about that drive now. >> finally starting to clear up. we had a weird commute. not a spot you would expect. northbound 101 and 101 as well. 237 has cleared accident there. remember, there is that tennis tournament there going on there all week. slowing but not a big deal. still recovering after all lanes cleared. still slow coming up towards the sprex esnela. hold on to that hat, we have afrelaews nter this.

there is a new smell that has them concerned. people who work and play nearby the pier say the smell of diesel is very strong. at least one person has reported that to the bare area district. there is no violation. the exxon mobil contractor says it has remain the within the permit safety requirements since that work began in december. one city agency is doing its part to give local students a chance for a bright future. the agency will hold a meeting to talk about loans and grants

for students trying to go to college. supervisors will speak on the need for financial aid. they have a meeting this morning. the "today" show continues s and we're back on this booze-day tuesday with more of "today" and we've got one of the most sparkling talents on all of television today. she's the star of "i, carly" on nick nickelodeon. she has a brand new cd coming out called "high maintenance," touring the country, and she has her show on again. "i, carly." let's watch a clip. >> she would be the perfect

candidate. wait. there's still one guy waiting outside. >> and on the day before i started seventh grade, my dad said to me, he goes, you've got to learn how to tie your own shoes. >> he's in, he got the job. you know, i had seen this show quite a bit because my daughter is about your age, and kids love this show. it's absolutely adorable. it's funny. the little girl that plays your cohort, she is a naughty girl. love her. >> in addition to doing this show, you are touring. you just recently played at the beacon. what was that like? >> it was so exciting to play in new york, and i had a lot of friends come out, and it was pretty surreal. i had a great time. >> this is your first tour, though, right? >> yeah, it's my first tour. >> how are you doing? >> i'm doing pretty well. i'm on a bus going all over the united states. it's mostly guys on the bus with

me. i've never been to camp, but it was like camp. >> is mom in on this? >> she's on tour with me. we have bunks on the bus together. >> kind of like a sleepover. >> yeah, it is. >> your show is taped and not in front of a live audience. what's the difference? >> i get a lot more stage fright on stage than doing the show. the show is like home. >> this is a big deal because your record "high maintenance" is out. your new single is called "dancing crazy." we happen to have the video. >> this is the premier. ♪

>> okay, it's going to be good. picture kids and me singing along to the songs. i love that kind of music. >> my daughter says she has the musical taste of a 17-year-old girl. she's going to love your album. >> thank you. >> why is your album called "high maintenance" because you seem the opposite of that. >> i'm a little high maintenance. >> really. >> i like it when a guy comes and picks me up, a lot of little things. >> that's called manners. >> i got to do a song on the album called "high maintenance" it's kind of tongue in cheek about a girl who is really high maintenance and the guy has to put up with it. >> is there someone about to woo you on valentine's day? >> i don't have a boyfriend right now. >> you'll have to give your love to your co-star.

>> we have an "i, carly" movie coming out pretty soon. >> thanks for being here, sweetheart. >> thanks for having me. taboo talks about their super performance and quite the life this man has had already. he'll be with us in just a moment. let's get chinese. should we order panda blossom, panda moon... how about chinese at home with wanchai ferry? you can make it in just 14 minutes. mmmh, orange chicken. great. i didn't feel like going out anyway.

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legends who have had the privilege of playing the music at the super bowl half time. >> now add to that the black-eyed peas. here we have taboo who wrote a book. >> let's talk about the super bowl before we get into the book. i was a huge fan of this. i love how you guys just rocked it. what did you think? >> when we first started rehearsing, it was nerve-wraking, going up 30 feet into the jumbotron. i remember telling fergie, don't talk to me, i'm nervous. >> but she's always talking, isn't she? >> that's my sister. fergie is an amazing partner, but just being up there so long and doing that time and time again -- >> you guys got it down, though. >> we got it down. when the performance came, everything was perfect.

as far as the technical side, we can't control that. >> that's not your people, anyway. that's the network's people. you can control your own people when you're on your own tour, and it's a huge job these people have to do. it didn't spoil it. >> it was great. people were just loving it, having a good time and rocking out. it was amazing. >> let's talk about your book. i love the title, by the way. tell us about the title because you have been in low, low places. >> "falling up" is paying homage to our first album before any hits. our first album came out in 1988 and our first song was called "falling up." i'm paying homage to knowing where you come from. if you don't come back to where you come from, you lose yourself. >> because you were raised in a loving home. there was your nana ask yond yo

mom. >> uh-huh. >> you had a tough upbringing, in a sense, in the area where you grew up in, but you had real love in your life, unconditional love. what went wrong? >> i think i got lost into the whole, you know, lifestyle of being -- people telling you, oh, you're great, your music is amazing. you guys are great! so you get caught up in that. you think to yourself, yeah, maybe i am great. let's do this, let's do that. you start believing your own hype. >> you decided at one point you had just had enough. what made you stop with the drinking and drugs and everything? >> my wife and kids. i owe my life to my wife and my kids. >> she is a beautiful lady. >> my wife jamie was there for me before any success. she was there. she was the one. >> look how pretty she is. we're so glad you're here to write this terrific book. we were just talking about it. your music inspired our entire

"today" show staff. >> everybody was rocking out. that was great. >> we did it with one camera and we had brian williams. you saw that? hold on, let's see. let's see it, let's see it. will i am did a similar version. >> brian is proving that it's harder than it looks. >> if brian had done one of these, it would have been a little better. >> you're going to teach us something? what's going on? >> so i brought you guys a gift. >> what is it? >> the taboo bling.

this was made by kaseros.com. she made it especially for you. >> put that baby on. >> show us a move as we go out. ♪ >> oh, wow. kathie lee, get it, girl! get it! >> thank you, honey. taboo. >> the book is sensational. >> it's like christmas all over again. we've got the best toys for you kids. after that, who knows what's happening. >> love you guys. till morning to eat it. ♪

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imagine more than 1,000 companies from all over the world coming together with their toys. >> that is just what is happening right here in new york starting this sunday when the american international toy association kicks off, and here is the founder of thetoyinsider.com. this is kind of a big day on the show. >> it is, because almost nobody has seen these toys and these are not all the toys yet. we're going to get a sneak peek of what the best toys will be, and we'll start with light brights. these are light brights and the world of light utopia. it begins with our magic wand. it's all about the game of colors -- >> what? do that again. i like it. >> this is on the top of every little girl's list. and the brights can share color,

so we can make her a different color. she can share with her friends. >> how did you do that? >> we have our tree of lights. >> i love it. >> it's beautiful. >> it needs to be singing. ♪ it's a small world after all >> one of the most popular video games in the entire world is tetris. now we're going to see tetris link. we have these and we put them in. you want to make links with your colors, you need to block your opponent. you do not want to leave spaces like this because you will lose points and you don't want to do that. this is so much fun. oh, my gosh, it's addicting. this is fabulous. everyone is going to love tetris

links. >> there is a little slit there i didn't see. >> look at these girls and what they're doing. this is a whole new twist on beads. i love this. girls are going to be crazy. this is the style center and they can get their beads out -- >> we have isabel here and morgan. >> not only are they making bracelets, but after they make their bracelets and accessories, they can just twist, twist, and they have all these little -- >> genius. >> these are going to be absolutely savvy. >> is it fun? >> can we see that again? >> all right. movies. green lantern is coming. it's a big action movie, this is an action game. they're knocking them out, and as you notice, the marble is staying right underneath the game board. >> they're not flying all over.

>> instead of flying all over. look at this. >> violent little stickers, aren't they? >> speaking of movies, what t tween girl doesn't like the heartthrob. this is his tour bus rocking stage. they can plug in their mp3 player. when he's done singing, ex lounge. this turns so he can either play video games or he can do his hair. >> is this the old haircut? >> this is the hairstyle doll. this is the justin hair doll. >> he is breaking raking it in . >> smurfs 3-d. we have our smurf carnival, papa smurf house, play sets, everybody is going to love them.

and of course, transformers are coming up in 3-d. these are the 3-d masks built in. kids with wear them to the theater and role-play and transform. play sets. this is the spy headquarters. they always made great sets and they're having a great time with all the spy gear. this was a living room. it transformed into the secret headquarters and escaped to the jets. >> those are for older kids. >> dhs fthis is for 7 and up. >> what is this? >> this is paper jam. >> i'm going to love this. >> this is a perfect pitch mic. what it means is that if you could sing -- do you want to sing with us? ♪ everyone has a story different as night and day ♪ >> i put the beetles on.

♪ can't buy me love >> thanks a lot, kids. have fun. >> we're going to separate st. croix. ring ring. progresso.

oh yes hi. can you put my grandma on the phone please? thanks. excuse me a sec. another person calling for her grandmother. she thinks it's her soup huh? i'm told she's in the garden picking herbs. she is so cute. okay i'll hold. she's holding. wha? (announcer) progresso. you gotta taste this soup. can you enjoy vegetables with sauce and still reach your weight loss goals? you can with green giant frozen vegetables. over twenty delicious varieties have sixty calories or less per serving and are now weight watchers-endorsed. try green giant frozen vegetables with sauce.

. it's time to have a st. croix food and wine experience. we thought we'd get a head start. >> why not, this weather is so bad. performer dennis brown and lydia tyson will perform in just a moment. but first executive chef leslie, one of the caribbean's most accomplished chefs is here with a traditional dish.

>> we're cooking up a little kingfish. >> first of all, these are some of our staple cuisines from the virgin islands. i'm from st. thomas. you can get this year round, even for the carnival coming up in april. >> i love the carnival. >> we feature our fresh catch of the day, a local kingfish, served with funji. >> what is funji. >> known here as palenta. >> we're hungry. >> get right into the bowl, all right? we'll finish this off with one of our signature spirits that i do. it's a sugarcane spritzer. >> we've got to get to the performance because we only have

a minute left, right? thank you so much, chef. all right, you guys, take it away. >> come on, let's watch your thing. do it. ♪ ♪ >> tomorrow funny man kevin nealon will be with us. >> and how to get a better body! see you tomorrow! honey...? [ mom ] yes.

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